JOHN AKOMFRAH – LISTENING ALL NIGHT TO THE RAIN
2026-02-16Originally conceived for the British Pavilion, the exhibition transformed the space into a vessel for a series of sculptural film installations titled ‘cantos’ or ‘movements’, each addressing different aspects of twentieth- and twenty-first-century global histories. At Lisson Gallery New York, Akomfrah presents Canto VI, the central multi-channel film of Listening All Night to the Rain which specifically examines pivotal moments in the histories of colonized nations, focusing on the independence movements that swept Africa and Asia from the 1940s to the 1970s.
Drawing on archival footage, the work reflects on the Mau Mau rebellion in Kenya, the Congo’s struggle for independence from Belgian rule, Nigeria’s path to nationhood and the catastrophic aftermath of colonial amalgamation, and the 1947 Partition of India, seen through figures such as Jawaharlal Nehru. These narratives are framed through the diasporic experience in Britain, where personal memory is entwined with the enduring legacies of empire.
Opposite – Installation View
Exhibition runs through to April 11th, 2026
Lisson Gallery
508 West 24th Street
10011
New York
