Deconfining in Dar es Salaam

From 5–19 February 2026, Nafasi Art Space in Dar es Salaam became a vibrant meeting point for artistic exchange as the Art Transparent Foundation from Wrocław presented an exhibition showcasing the outcomes of residencies developed through the DECONFINING project.

Bringing together artists from East-Central Europe and East Africa, the exhibition embodied the very essence of deconfining: opening spaces, challenging inherited narratives, and rethinking how cultural cooperation unfolds across continents.

Over two inspiring weeks, Nafasi Art Space transformed into a living dialogue between traditions, geographies and lived experiences. Through installations, visual works and interdisciplinary practices, participating artists explored:

• Traditional knowledge systems and their contemporary relevance
• The relationship between culture and nature
• Music and dance as transcontinental languages
• Shared and entangled histories between Africa and Europe
   

Audiences in Dar es Salaam engaged deeply with the works, entering conversations that questioned dominant frameworks and invited new perspectives on artistic mobility and collaboration. The exhibition demonstrated how residencies can move beyond exchange as a formal structure, becoming instead spaces of mutual learning, co-creation and critical reflection.

At a time when mobility remains unequal and cross-continental cooperation faces increasing structural challenges, this exhibition stood as a powerful reminder of what is possible when partnerships are built on reciprocity, trust and shared curiosity.

The Dar es Salaam presentation not only celebrated artistic outcomes, but also reaffirmed the importance of sustained collaboration between African and European cultural institutions. It showed that when artists are given time, space and equitable conditions to work together, the result is not only art — but new ways of thinking, relating and imagining futures across borders.
 
The DECONFINING project continues to advocate for precisely this:

• Dismantling barriers, strengthening equitable partnerships, and shaping more sustainable ecosystems for cultural cooperation between Africa and Europe. Dar es Salaam reminded us that deconfining is not an abstract concept — it is a lived, creative practice.