Iraa -The Granary is a space that calls for collective, experimental explorations of what archive is, means and can be in this Ugandan/ East African context. Iraa is a Lugbara word for granary, a place where a family’s plentiful harvests are kept for consumption in times of need.
Iraa-the Granary takes on 3 forms;
Kitchen@the Granary sessions take on an experimental format to networking and memory gathering starting with the literal preparation and sharing of food as the point of departure. The sessions are hosted at individual artist’s, writers, art enthusiasts' studios/homes and are guided by a theme suggested by the host. These sessions usually involve a guest list of about 12-15 people that is drafted by the host and initiators. This ensures participatory interactions.
The Food basket is a segment of Iraa-the Granary that delves into the resources that we have and can harness within our artistic communities both locally and internationally. These resources are in 2 categories; Services and their various providers. This segment is majorly a database of sorts encompassing contacts of service providers, transport and logistic companies, interesting podcasts, books, publishers to work with and so on. The creation of this database is an attempt to minimize workings with shoddy and unprofessional service providers in Uganda as the database is built based on recommendations of individuals who have worked with the service providers before. It can be a go to list for quick transactions while in Uganda. a, Mid-career & Professional practitioners (well baked),Under this segment, Iraa-the Granary invites people who are mid-career to professionals in art related fields to share about their practices through lectures, symposiums, workshops, talks and so on. The aim for this segment is to exploit the knowledge bases that already exist within our networks as sources for learning, inspiration and possible collaboration. Some of the professionals we aim to reach through the Food basket programming include artists, curators, writers, poets, accountants, lawyers etc.
The food shop is a space to sell artist made food related items. It is an entrepreneurial venture that has been setup to create a platform for artists to sell industry standard food items and good quality homemade products.
MEET THE COOKS
Kitchen @the Granary3 at Stacey Gillian's home 2022. Photo credit: Raisa Galore
Sandra Suubi
Sandra Suubi is a socially conscious visual activist, whose multimedia physical and sonic sculptural works are a response to her observation / study / experience of popular visual culture and social practices, especially in Uganda.
From her early sculptures, constructed from an assorted range of found objects – used plastic, tyres, metal, discarded boats, etc – to the most recent wearable performance installations ( Samba Gown, 2022, Kiragala 2021) made of 2nd hand clothes, plastic pipes, used jeans, used cables, and such, Suubi broaches issues that deal as much with industrialization, single use plastic, climate change, commodity, exploitation, as with the transformative effects of the accumulation of mass produced goods, material culture and women’s lived experiences.
Suubi obtained an MFA in Fine art in 2018 and a BFA in Fine art in 2015 at Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda. Her work was shown during the Kampala Art Biennale in Kampala, ‘The Studio’ curated by Simon Njami in 2018.
Suubi has exhibited in various locations in and around Kampala as well Africa.
Suubi is an initiator of art related programs at Iraa-the Granary
Immy Mali
Immy lives and works in Kampala Uganda. Using a variety of media including, text,
video, sound, sculpture, installation, animation, her work attempts to unpack the complexities and entanglements of memory and existence in a neo/postcolonial Uganda. Notions of presence and absence, personal memories of childhood growing up in Uganda juxtaposed with current personal and collective experiences of existence in shifting spaces and places also influence her work. Her ongoing project Letters to
my childhood (2017-present) accords her the duality to engage with her past and
present simultaneously.
She is a co-founder of Iraa-the granary an experimental artist’s kitchen geared
towards exploring the possibility of creating archival/memory systems of artists’ work that is relevant to the African context. In 2013, she obtained her BA in Industrial and Fine Arts from Margaret Trowell School of Industrial and Fine arts, Makerere University, Kampala. She is an alumnus of the Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunsten in Amsterdam, Netherlands (2018-2019). She has participated in exhibitions, residencies and workshops online and in various countries including Kenya, Netherlands, India, Ethiopia, Denmark, Germany, USA, South Africa, Mozambique,
Angola, and Uganda. Her work has been published in art magazines including the
Africa arts journal 2019.