Walking to Acknowledge - Fungai Marima Residency at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe.

by artweb

Fungai Marima walking along the Harare - Bulawayo road in Zimbabwe as part of her performance work (Image: Fungai Marima)

Fungai Marima, a multidisciplinary Zimbabwean artist based in the UK, recently completed an artist-in-residence program at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe in Bulawayo, funded by Arts Council England through the Developing Your Creative Practice (DYCP) Grant. This opportunity enabled her to realize her project, Walking to Acknowledge, a performance, exhibition, and research project centered on the landscapes and histories of her birth country. The core of her project is a six-day walk from Harare to Bulawayo, during which Marima spent 8 - 9 hours daily walking along the A5 road, reflecting on social and political identities in Zimbabwe and how violence shapes collective identity.

Her journey embodies walking as a form of dialogue, exploring how an active body can communicate resistance and engage with histories of violence. The exhibition of Walking to Acknowledge, held at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe in Bulawayo from August 1 to 23, 2024, connects the act of walking with significant moments in African history, such as the Salt March, the Women's March in Pretoria, and the Soweto Uprising. Marima mirrors these moments of resistance, using her walk to connect with the ground, the history embedded within it, and the memories of past violence. Through her work, she examines how women, in particular, suffer from acts of violence, including gender-based violence and sexual assault. Her walk becomes an act of reclaiming space and agency, symbolised by the footprints she leaves behind, which trace a path of resilience and remembrance.

The artist conducting a workshop.

Marima also facilitated a workshop, Housing Memory, during the residency, which explored where memory resides in the body and how it can be expressed through art. Using printmaking and object-making techniques, participants created spaces for their memories, providing a space for release and resistance to forgetting. The walk was documented through photography and video by artist-photographer Tami Zizhou, creating a lasting record of Marima’s journey and the stories embedded in each step.

Fungai Marima's work transcends walking’s functional purpose, transforming it into a profound act of expression, reflection, and connection. Through her art, she invites us to walk with her, witness, remember, and ultimately heal from the violence that has shaped our world.

For more information on Fungai Marima, visit her website here