How

Grada

Kilomba

Turned

Her

Study

of

Psychoanalysis

and

PTSD

Into

an

Artistic

Practice

That

Confronts

Collective

Trauma

In her solo exhibition A World of Illusions at Amant in Brooklyn, interdisciplinary artist Grada Kilomba presents a poignant exploration of colonial history and its enduring legacies through video, sculpture, and performance.

As highlighted by Caroline Elbaor in Artnet, Kilomba transforms myth and memory into powerful political statements, using storytelling as a form of resistance and healing. The centrepiece of the show is O Barco / The Boat, a striking installation composed of 140 burnt wooden blocks arranged in the shape of a ship’s hull, symbolising the transatlantic slave trade and its reverberating impact. Through her poetic, research-based practice, Kilomba confronts collective trauma and reclaims space for voices historically silenced, inviting viewers to reflect on the systems of oppression that persist today.