ATLANTIC APPETITES

culinary talks with L. Sasha Gora & Rafram Chaddad

THE NIGERDELTA EXPERIENCE

Interview with Sule Emmanuel Egya

How do fish, the culture of their catch and their preparation create and change the Atlantic and Mediterranean world? Cultural historian L. Sasha Gora and artist Rafram Chaddad share research, stories and snacks about Atlantic cod in a mixture of conversation and culinary presentation: “the fish that changed the world”. Their conversation weaves together stories about cod, movement and migration, cuisine and belonging, and ends with a tasting, both with and without fish.

The Niger Delta region in Nigeria is the largest ecological crisis area in Africa. This crisis has its roots in the history of the Atlantic crossing and the consequences of colonialism. Oil has been extracted in the Niger Delta by multinational corporations such as Shell and BP since the 1950s. Since then, poorly maintained pipelines and oil spills have repeatedly contaminated the 70,000 square kilometer delta area with its river arms, mangroves and swamps. The soil and drinking water are contaminated with chromium, lead and mercury, and the fishing grounds off the coast are also becoming unusable due to oil poisoning. All of this puts the local population in a catastrophic situation. The discussion with the author and researcher Sule Emmanuel Egya focuses on the experience of the Niger Delta as a painful interplay of ethnicity, ecology and petrodollar capitalism against the backdrop of local resistance. Commonwealth Book Prize winner Egya has been working for years on environmental justice and environmental activism, as well as the effects of colonialism.

August 02 – Augsburg Environmental Education Center – 7:30 p.m.

The event will be held partly in English. Admission is free. Seat reservations are recommended at info@waterandsound.de

Contributors

L. Sasha Gora has been working at the University of Augsburg since May 2023 as project leader of the research group “Off the Menu: Appetites, Culture, and Environment”. With a focus on cod, her current work examines the relationship between food and ecology as well as between cuisine, culture and the climate crisis.

Rafram Chaddad
is a visual artist living in Tunis. In his work, he reflects on his personal life experiences and comments on broader socio-political issues such as migration and displacement, identity, food and belonging. Last summer, he presented his solo exhibition “the good seven years” at B7L9 in Tunis and published an artist’s book of the same name.

Sule Emmanuel Egya
is a poet, author and Professor of African Literature and Ecological Humanities at the Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University in Lapai, Nigeria. He is currently a research assistant at the College of Social Sciences and Humanities of the University Alliance Essen.

The actress
Jenny Langner
has been in front of the camera for film and television since 2012 and also works as a speaker and presenter. She has been engaged at the Staatstheater Augsburg since the 2020/21 season.