Azania Speaks

visions of partnership in africa

the art of the spoken word

Convenors

Prof. Antonella Riem Natale (University of Udine)
Dr. Maria Bortoluzzi (University of Udine)

Conference Advisory Committee

Prof. Antonella Riem Natale
Prof. Maria Renata Dolce (University of Salento)
Prof. Itala Vivan (University of Milan)
Prof. Armando Gnisci (University of Rome)

Organizing Committee

Raphael d'Abdon, Laura Pecoraro,
Piergiorgio Trevisan

Coordinator of visual arts exhibition

Tiziana Pers

Music coordinator

Natalia Molebatsi

Info

raphael_all@yahoo.it
laura.p@libero.it
all@uniud.it

Sponsored by

Media sponsor

Music partner

In Western mainstream media Africa is often represented as “underdeveloped” and “the poorest” continent.
This stereotypical view leaves Africa and Africans at the margins of the various discourses in the globalizing
world. In order to offer alternative visions to this view, the Azania Speaks International Conference intends
to host empowering “voices of partnership” coming from Africa.
These voices represent a clear sign of transformative cultures which flow on the musical waves of oral poetry,
and create harmonious visions of the future based on genuine values of partnership such as caring, cooperation
and sustainability.
The strength of these transformative cultures resides in the power of rhythm and sound: music and oral poetry
are ancient and powerful “medicines”.
In oral poetry sound and words blend to overcome conventional linguistic stereotypes. The rhythmic structure
of the spoken word is metaphor and representation of a healing and renewed
psyche. The performing poet and the audience find mutual comfort in a renovated inner architecture where
the spoken word embodies the restorative, regenerative Great Cosmic Dance.

The conference is also hosting
THE VISUAL ART EXHIBITION
of 13 artists from Italy, Burkina Faso, Tunisia and South Africa

Palazzo Antonini

Alfredo Bini – Video/SlideShow
Filippo Borella – Video Installation
Salifou Bance (Burkina Faso) – Mosaic Installation
Danilo De Marco – Photography
Nicoletta Fagiolo – Video Installation
Tiziana Pers – Site Specific Installation
Bernarda Visentini – Sculptures
Maliki Yabre (Burkina Faso) – Drawings
Toni Zanussi – Sculptures

Sala Florio

Carole Boubli (Tunisia) – Mosaic Installation
Danilo De Marco – Photography
Pier Paolo Zanussi – Video Documentary
Sonya Louro do Rego (South Africa) – Mosaic Installation
Toni Zanussi – Sculptures
Zeliya Zoire (Burkina Faso) – Mosaic Installation