In the exhibition Rare Earth rare justice, artist Ndidi Dike takes extraction of earth minerals and people as her starting point. A new sculptural work Deciphering value II: economic anomalies and unequal dependencies in global commodity trade is presented in an installation created uniquely for Färgfabriken’s main exhibition hall.

Rare Earth rare justice is the first presentation of Ndidi Dike’s artistic work in Sweden. In her practice, she works primarily as a sculptor and multidisciplinary artist. She often experiments with found objects, prints, spatial installations, and architectural interventions in the exhibition environment. Dike’s artistry is characterized by a deep engagement with contemporary socio-political and economic concerns, with a particular focus on how colonialism, post colonialism, and global capitalism have shaped contemporary urban cultures and landscapes.

As one of Nigeria’s most prominent artists, Dike explores themes such as the history of the enslaved, personal and collective archives, ecological devastation, and how global extractive industries lead to resource-driven conflicts, displacement, and human disasters.

Dike’s work is often preceded by long, research-based processes in which the choice of materials is guided by the specific theme of each project. Her art is characterized by a strong materiality – where the objects’ previous economic, social, and political lives carry symbolism, references, and concrete weight. By combining materials, images, and references from different cultural contexts, central to here practice is an engagement with Africa and it’s nations with a particular focus on the DRC, and other contested spaces, situated within complex discourses of post-colonial exploitation, global inequality, gender subordination, displacement and territorial conflict. Dike highlights historical events and intertwined narratives that still shape the present.

For Rare Earth rare justice, a publication including essays by curators Adelaide Bannerman and Osei Bonsu, a conversation with and a statement by the artist will be released.