Online Reporter
Trust Khosa
Zimpapers Arts, Entertainment Hub
INTERNATIONALLY-ACCLAIMED visual artist duo Masimba Hwati and Michael Gould, collectively known as The Zebra Collective, are set to present a multimedia installation and performance series next month in Harare.
This event will explore the cultural and ecological trauma associated with the construction of Kariba Dam.
Titled “Nyami Nyami,” the installation will take place at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe on July 9. Curated by Fadzai Muchemwa, the installation aims to recapture the untold stories of Nyami Nyami, the revered mythical river god known as the Zambezi River god or Zambezi Snake Spirit, significant to the Tonga people living along the Zambezi River.
In a statement, the artists emphasised that the installation not only honours Nyami Nyami as the protector of the Tonga people and a source of sustenance during times of hardship but also celebrates the snake symbol as a powerful spiritual entity, highlighting its connection to the values surrounding the Kariba Dam.
“The Zambezi, Africa’s fourth longest river, was forever changed in 1955 when British colonial authorities ordered the construction of the Kariba Dam. The project displaced 57 000 Tonga people, caused 86 deaths and radically altered the region’s ecosystem.
“Today, the dam controls 90 percent of the river’s runoff, disrupting downstream life and now threatening 3,5 million people as its bedrock erodes from within.
“At the heart of the artists’ project is Nyami Nyami, a revered river deity of the Tonga people depicted as a fish-headed, snake-bodied spirit believed to protect communities in times of crisis,” reads part of the curatorial statement.
The installation further explores some of the beliefs and myths that the Tonga people still hold regarding the Kariba Dam.
“During the dam’s construction, the Tonga people believed they had angered the god and hoped its power would destroy the dam and restore their homelands. In this work, Zebra Collective poetically re-imagines Nyami Nyami not just as myth but as a symbol of resistance and ecological memory. Blending sculpture, sound, and digital technology, Hwati and Gould’s installation and performances traverse ancient Shona stargazing traditions and contemporary sound engineering, including modified guitars and spears that perform as sonic sentinels.
“First performed at TanzTangente Berlin in 2022, Nyami Nyami was also performed at Ogrosen Kulturland farm in Lausitz, at the Global Water Dances Festival, and most recently at the University of Michigan Ann Arbor.
