the zomba prison project
2017 Artists as Activists
Behind the walls of a super max prison in Malawi, Africa, inmates and guards create breathtaking music about their heartbreaking life stories. An American producer named Ian Brennan set out to discover this hidden gem, hoping to, “bring attention to the voices of people who aren’t usually heard”. In pursuit of this goal, Brennan recorded an album, called “The Zomba Prison Project”, which compiled all of the songs written and sung by those living behind the walls. The album was nominated for a Grammy at the beginning of this year, and despite their loss to Kendrick Lamar, the nomination alone was a significant victory for those involved in the making of this album
Regardless of the beauty that music generates from within the prison, the conditions the prisoners experience are horrifying. There are currently two
thousand inmates living in this prison built for four hundred--making it impossible to sleep comfortably. There are days when there is no food at all, and when there is food to eat, it is only boiled corn fl our and
beans. One prisoner recalls that the last time he’s eaten meat was two years ago on Christmas Day.
In an effort to make my audience empathetic of this issue, I attempted to recreate the emotions that are evoked when in this prison. The use of black yarn that emerges and hangs from the walls of this space represent the bars of the prison cells. I wanted to create an environment where a cell is indirectly
represented, but the feeling of enclosure and
claustrophobia emerge. The choice of using yarn, a material that’s both weak and flexible, was to take the notion that the prison is falling apart to a literal sense. In addition to the bars, I chose to project images of the conditions that the inmates live in. This metaphorically shows that we don’t truly understand what it’s like to be in this environment, and what we are experiencing is quite literally a projection of what is perceived. Finally, there is also a song from the album playing as you walk through the installation, titled “Please Don’t Kill My Child”.
I have never been to this prison so I don’t truly know what it’s like to be there, but I attempted to evoke as many emotions and senses in my audience as possible. I walked away from this project with a new understanding of my privilege. I often take things for granted and forget how lucky I am to be in a community with so much opportunity. With this in mind, I hoped that my audience would walk away from this installation with a similar understanding.
