EVIL DEAD 2020
Interview of Francis Kokoroko and Jojo Gronostay.
Q: Who are you?
A: My name is Francis Kokoroko. I am a photographer.
Q: Where do you live?
A: Accra, Ghana
Q: What do you hope to achieve through your art
A: What I do helps me appreciate life. The photograph becomes entry points to my imaginations. I share them and some people connect. Magical.
Q: What do you think of the Ghanaian art scene?
A: Necessary. From what I have experienced, it is life itself not a show.
Q: What does art mean to you now?
A: The aspect of life that brings everything together. The centre.
Q: What do you think of the idea of appropriation?
A: As long as it’s honest.
Jojo to Francis:
Q: You also did a beautiful photographic work about the Kantamanto Market. What fascinates you as a native most about this place?
A: I have been visiting Kantamanto since I was a teenager. The people, energy and finding!
Q: Whats your favorite movie?
A: So many good movies. Timbuktu!
Q: Who are you?
A: My Name is Jojo Gronostay. I am an artist and founder of DEAD WHITE MENS CLOTHES.
Q: Where do you live?
A: Vienna, Austria.
Q: What do you hope to achieve through DWMC?
A: I would like to ask questions about identity, value and fashion.
Q: What do you think of the Ghanaian art scene?
A: The Ghanaian art scene is small, but very vibrant. I was impressed by the cohesion and the mutual support in the scene, something I have rarely experienced in Europe.
Q: What does art mean to you now?
A: That’s hard for me to define. It is an important way of communicating.
Q: What do you think of the idea of appropriation?
A: Artists like Duchamp, Richard Prince and Rosemarie Trockel were very important for my own work. I think that it can still be an important tool in art.
Francis to Jojo
Q: What is it about presentation?
A: What interests me about the presentation of clothing in general is the political side of it. Usually even if you unconsciously dress, you are a product of your environment and influences. Through your clothes you place yourself in this world. With DWMC in particular, I am interested in what these clothes mean in different contexts. In Africa, in „the West“, in the art world, in the world of fashion, in advertising and on the street. I try to jump back and forth between these areas without really belonging somewhere. The typical identity struggle of a mixedQ: race person so to say.
Q: Whats your favorite movie?
A: At the moment Sambizanga by Sarah Maldoror.
