Art and science fuse to spotlight Namibia’s genocide history

The National Art Gallery of Namibia opened its doors to ‘Inherited Testimonies: Re-tracing the Genocide with Nama and Ovaherero Descendants’ on Thursday.'Inherited Testimonies' offers visitors an immersive exhibition that fuses art and investigative research to explore one of the most harrowing chapters in Namibia’s colonial history.On view until 20 September, the exhibition is the result of a collaboration between the Berlin-based research agencies Forensic Architecture and Forensis, the National Art Gallery of Namibia and local partners, including the Nama Traditional Leaders Association, the Ovaherero Traditional Authority (OTA) and the Ovaherero Genocide Foundation.Art and science fuse For Dr Mark Mushiva, a Namibian researcher and technologist at Forensis, the exhibition is both a professional undertaking and a deeply personal mission. Speaking to Namibian Sun, Mushiva explained that his role was to investigate how German colonialism’s legacy continues to shape the environment. “I use scientific tools like machine learning and remote sensing to provide that evidence,” he said. “But I’m also part of the wider team working on 3D reconstructions and archival research.”Those reconstructions form the heart of the exhibition. Never-before-seen investigative videos reimagine the architecture of concentration camps that once stood in Windhoek, Swakopmund, and other locations across Namibia. “These reconstructions have been built through oral testimonies from our partners and archival photographs found mostly in German colonial archives,” Mushiva said. “In presenting this research, we are not just creating art, we are giving research results.”While much of the technical production took place in Germany and London, the foundation of the project was laid in Namibia. National healing Over three years, the research team visited historical sites, interviewed descendants of those directly affected, and gathered field data. Some of the locations they reconstructed no longer exist and many have been transformed into commercial farms or erased entirely.Mushiva hopes the exhibition will serve a dual purpose. “As an organisation, we want to raise awareness of this history in Namibia, because it has never been seen in such detail,” he said. “As a Namibian researcher, I hope it sensitises the wider public to the events of the genocide and sparks constructive conversations for national healing, especially within the communities that lived through it.”Through its blend of technology, oral history and forensic investigation, 'Inherited Testimonies' invites visitors to confront the silence of history – and to imagine a future in which that silence is finally broken.VIDEO LINK: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMAd9NYyf/

Art and science fuse to spotlight Namibia’s genocide history

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Namibian Sun 2026-02-27

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Art and science fuse to spotlight Namibia’s genocide history

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Namibian Sun 2026-02-27

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