抗議的曲目（無舞蹈，無爭論） _ Onyeka Igwe個展

抗議的曲目（無舞蹈，無爭論）：Onyeka Igwe個展

A Repertoire of Protest (No Dance, No Palaver)：Onyeka Igwe Solo Exhibition

藝術家Onyeka Igwe在紐約現代藝術博物館（MOMA）的首次個展中重新探討了歷史上鮮為人知的一刻。《抗議的曲目（無舞蹈，無爭論）》"A Repertoire of Protest (No Dance, No Palaver)" 匯集了她的三部影片，靈感源自1929年的阿巴婦女戰爭，當時尼日東南部的數千名伊博族婦女集體抗議政府的稅制以及對婦女的種種限制。她透過各種官方檔案和舞蹈、歌曲的紀錄，研究這場特殊的歷史事件，試圖以電影藝術的方式還原並與之對話。透過這樣的方式，Igwe揭示了當代生活的敘事多樣性，同時讓她和我們重新發現理解當下的意義。

Artist Onyeka Igwe reexamines a little-known moment in history in her debut solo exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in New York. "A Repertoire of Protest (No Dance, No Palaver)" brings together three of her films inspired by the 1929 Aba Women’s War, where thousands of Igbo women in southeastern Nigeria collectively protested the government's taxation policies and various restrictions on women. Through official archives, dance, and song recordings, Igwe delves into this significant historical event, aiming to recreate and engage with it through the medium of film. In doing so, Igwe reveals the narrative diversity of contemporary life and invites us to rediscover the meaning of the present moment.

一段被遺忘的歷史：在阿巴婦女戰爭中找到的新詮釋

A Forgotten History Rediscovered: New Interpretations Found in the Aba Women’s War.

Photo by Steven Paneccasio from MOMA

紐約現代藝術博物館本次呈現藝術家Onyeka Igwe的首次個展。展覽名稱為《抗議的曲目（無舞蹈，無爭論）》，展示了一系列三部短片作品：《我的口中的她的名字Her Name in My Mouth》（2017）、《坐在男人身上Sitting on a Man》（2018）和《特殊技巧Specialised Technique》（2018），並以擴延電影的形式呈現。

The Museum of Modern Art in New York presents the debut solo exhibition of artist Onyeka Igwe. Titled "A Repertoire of Protest (No Dance, No Palaver)," the exhibition showcases a series of three short films: "Her Name in My Mouth" (2017), "Sitting on a Man" (2018), and "Specialised Technique" (2018), presented in an expanded cinematic form.

在此次的展覽中，Igwe盡可能以更多的面向去講述歷史真相。她通過政府文件、官方報告、歷史文物、個人記憶、口傳歷史以及手勢、聲音、舞蹈和歌曲等紀錄，研究鮮為人知的歷史事件。她的節奏性剪輯風格強調了影像和聲音之間的不協調。Igwe的電影結構層次豐富，追溯著多樣的敘事，挑戰西方意識形態，尤其是大英帝國主義的單一進步起源的史觀。

In this exhibition, Igwe strives to tell the historical truths from multiple perspectives. She investigates little-known historical events through government documents, official reports, historical artifacts, personal memories, oral histories, as well as records of gestures, sounds, dances, and songs. Her rhythmic editing style emphasizes the dissonance between image and sound. Igwe's film structures are richly layered, tracing diverse narratives and challenging Western ideologies, particularly the monolithic view of progress rooted in British imperialism.

Igwe電影系列的主題是1929年的阿巴婦女戰爭，她最初是通過家族傳說而得知。這場衝突主要由伊博族婦女領導，被認為是尼日最早的反殖民主義起義之一。通過在概念上重現這種集體抗爭的行動，以及那些曾經被壓抑的歷史，Igwe發現即使在過去的悲劇中，也能找到理解當下的新途徑。該展覽突顯出舞蹈和抗議運動之間的關係，尤其是由婦女發起的運動。

The theme of Igwe's film series revolves around the 1929 Aba Women’s War, which she initially learned about through family legends. This conflict was predominantly led by Igbo women and is considered one of the earliest anti-colonial uprisings in Nigeria. By conceptually reenacting the actions of this collective resistance and exploring suppressed histories, Igwe discovers new pathways to understanding the present even within past tragedies. The exhibition highlights the relationship between dance and protest movements, particularly those initiated by women.

融合新興電影技術和民族誌紀錄片方式，重現最早的反殖民起義

Combining emerging film techniques with ethnographic documentary approaches, a reenactment of the earliest anti-colonial uprising is brought to life.

Photo by Marissa Alper from MOMA

由於阿巴婦女戰爭的影像並未保存下來，為了想像和重現這場抗爭行動，Igwe回顧了殖民時期的電影檔案，她的電影作品混合了這些檔案，以及新興的電影技術和民族誌紀錄片的創作。這個系列中三部作品的部分素材，源自於1930年至1956年間，尼日、蘇丹和坦尚尼亞的外國新聞短片，以及基督教傳教機構和殖民電影單位所拍攝的內容。Igwe從這些電影檔案中重新整理與改編，並融入了手勢和舞蹈等元素，重新構建了殖民視線，呈現出一個未曾被講述的抗爭故事。

Due to the absence of preserved imagery from the Aba Women’s War, Igwe delves into colonial-era film archives to imagine and recreate this act of resistance. Her film works blend these archival materials with emerging film techniques and ethnographic documentary approaches. Some of the source materials for the three works in this series are derived from foreign newsreels spanning from 1930 to 1956 in Nigeria, Sudan, and Tanganyika (now Tanzania), as well as content captured by Christian missionary institutions and Colonial Film Units. Igwe reassembles and reinterprets these film archives, incorporating elements such as gestures and dance, to reconstruct the colonial gaze and present an untold story of resistance.

當地婦女的抗議方式，被人類學家稱為「坐在男人身上」，她們在民政事務處和法院等地的外圍進行這類抗議活動。而這種方式也和婦女們與男性發生衝突時所使用的方法大致相同，婦女們在男人的房子外面聚集起來唱歌跳舞，胸前裸露，身披棕櫚葉，直到男人修正錯誤為止。雖然最終以血腥的方式結束抗爭，但卻是尼日最早的反殖民起義之一，而且是由婦女所發起的。

The protest method employed by local women, known as "Sitting on a Man," involved conducting such activities on the peripheries of administrative offices and courts. This approach was also similar to the methods used by women during confrontations with men. Women would gather outside the men's houses, singing and dancing, with their chests exposed and adorned with palm leaves, until the men rectified their wrongdoings. Although the resistance ultimately ended in a violent manner, it stands as one of Nigeria's earliest anti-colonial uprisings and was initiated by women.

跨越歷史的舞動：以藝術重新探索交流的語言

Dancing Across History: Rediscovering the Language of Communication through Art.

Photo by Steven Paneccasio from MOMA

在英國殖民檔案館拍攝於其他非洲地區的影片中，Igwe有時能感受到婦女們的挑釁或敵意，有時她們則是和相機在玩耍。在這些影片中Igwe理解到，動作和手勢成為她與人們溝通和了解他們的方式，而阿巴婦女戰爭就是通過動作、聲音和手勢來抗議的。Igwe也希望透過她的電影延續這種語言。

While filming footage from other African regions at the British colonial archives, Igwe sometimes sensed provocation or hostility from the women, while at other times, they played with the camera. Through these films, Igwe came to understand that gestures and actions became her way of communicating with people and understanding them. The Aba Women’s War, in particular, utilized actions, sounds, and gestures as forms of protest. Igwe also aims to continue this language through her films.

Igwe的影片使用多元的方式呈現。有的借用母親的聲音，來描述後代移民中語言及文化的喪失；有的則讓演員進行一場「坐在男人身上」的排練，利用婦女的集會行動呈現出伊博社會中女性的抗爭手段，甚至讓舞者直接在片中的人物旁即興演出；還有利用蒙太奇手法，記錄非洲各種形式的舞蹈。Igwe試圖透過直接介入影像畫面的方式，與主體進行一場對話。所以在《抗議的曲目（無舞蹈，無爭論）》當中，舞蹈和排練是一種跨越歷史的交流方式。

Igwe's films employ diverse approaches to presentation. Some utilize her mother's voice to depict the loss of language and culture in the context of immigrant descendants. Others involve actors rehearsing the "Sitting on a Man" action, using the collective gathering of women to showcase the resistance methods of Igbo women within their society. Some even feature dancers spontaneously performing alongside the characters in the film. Additionally, montage techniques are employed to document various forms of African dance. Igwe attempts to engage in a dialogue with the subjects directly through her intervention in the visual frames. Thus, in "A Repertoire of Protest (No Dance, No Palaver)," dance and rehearsals serve as a means of cross-generational communication.

Igwe的展覽將屏幕內外的舞蹈融合在一起，創造出沉浸式的擴延電影環境。通過在概念上恢復這種集體抗爭行動，以及被壓抑的歷史，讓藝術家和我們發現了理解當下的新意義。

Igwe's exhibition seamlessly blends dance both on and off the screen, creating an immersive expanded cinematic environment. By conceptually reenacting this collective act of resistance and exploring suppressed history, the artist allows us to discover new meanings in understanding the present.

Photo from MOMA