“Until the lion tells its story, the hunter is always the hero,” an African proverb states.

Guided by this principle, a groundbreaking international collaboration between Ramdom, Museo Castromediano, and Artlife Matters brought Ghanaian artists and cultural practitioners to Lecce, Italy, for a powerful programme dedicated to decolonising heritage and liberating the imagination.

Artists, community members, and cultural experts participated in workshops, an exhibition, a conference, and a public parade to explore how tangible and intangible heritage can serve as tools for reclaiming narratives historically shaped by colonial structures.

Reframing Identity Through Art

The programme invited participants and the wider public to reflect on the cultural and political urgency of decolonising the gaze.

The legacies of colonialism—intensified by global capitalism—continue to shape hierarchical visual and cultural environments that influence individual and collective identities.

These impacts are felt most strongly among migrant and diasporic communities, whose cultural heritages remain at risk of being erased or reframed through external narratives.

Through performative, communal, and participatory art forms, the project created new spaces for expression, care, and self-representation.

A Totem of Memory and Ancestry

The exchange opened with the creation of a striking six-foot concrete totem representing memory, identity, and ancestral resonance.

Produced in just two and a half days by Kwame Akoto-Bamfo and the Osramba team in Castrignano di Greci (LE), the artwork symbolises the bridge between past and present, and between the lands people come from and where they find themselves today.

According to Eric Agyare, Founder of Artlife Matters and curatorial lead, decolonising heritage from an African perspective “does not mean rejecting the West, but re-centring African perspectives and reclaiming the stories silenced by colonial systems.”

Artist and cultural historian Kwame Akoto-Bamfo added, “True spirituality begins with honesty.”

“Echoes of Home” — A Participatory Healing Process

The workshop “Echoes of Home” brought together foreign residents in Lecce, guiding them through a reflective, healing process to reaffirm peace and happiness despite personal challenges.

Together with the Ghanaian artistic collective, participants developed an unconventional parade that combed through Museo Castromediano with life, colour, and positive energy.

Luigi Di Luca, Director of Museo Castromediano, emphasised the museum’s commitment to redefining its role within the community and expanding opportunities for international collaboration.

Project Partners

“Decolonising the Heritage – Practices for a Liberation of the Imaginary” is a project by Ramdom, in collaboration with Museo Castromediano – Lecce, ICOM Puglia, Artlife Matters, and the Istituto Culture Mediterranee.

The project is promoted by the Regional Council of Puglia within the ACA – Open Council Notice 2025.