SEMA Collective Memory Exhibition ‘We Are Speaking, Are You Listening?’

SEMA’s Collective Memory Exhibition “We Are Speaking, Are You Listening?”, consisting of 28 art pieces from 13 countries, highlighted the vast spectrum of survivors’ experiences from the fight for accountability and justice, to the shame and pain of memory, to the healing journey of survivors and even to the joys of recovery. The exhibition was first shown in Nairobi, Kenya at the end of SEMA’s regional retreat for SEMA members from African countries.

Jaqueline Mutere, SEMA member from Kenya, opened the exhibition with the reading of the poem “We Rise” that she wrote on behalf of SEMA members.  

This reading performance was followed by a collective performance from all the survivors attending the retreat who went on stage to sing the new SEMA song “Freedom is here”.

The exhibition aimed to convey messages of memory and community and sustain the narrative, reflecting SEMA’s long-term commitment to multiple exhibitions, each highlighting different facets of collective memory work. 

The full catalogue comprises more than 28 artworks from 13 out of the 26 SEMA countries ranging from a display of songs, poems, and letters to children born as a result of CRSV, drawings and photos to documentaries, body maps, testimonies of survivors, portraits of SEMA members and quotes by survivors.  See below for the full catalogue.

The video below highlights key moments from the exhibition.