
NKATA: Dots of Thoughts
I often wake up in the morning with thoughts reeling in my head. Thoughts inspired by a conversation with someone; something I read, heard, listened to (music/podcasts), a film I saw, a photograph I made, an essay/poem I wrote, or in broad terms, an impactful encounter. They exist as disjointed, scattered particles I often refer to as dots of thoughts.Thus, this podcast show is an attempt to articulate, to converse and to put in relation these floating thoughts. While it relies on random impulses, the podcast is structured by thought-prompts focusing on everyday issues across space, time and works of life. Though it is not a live podcast, it somewhat mimics this approach in that for every episode, the conversation, which begins as a monologue, evolves into a dialogue through a phone conversation with someone else in another part of the world (a friend, a colleague, relative, expert in a subject, creator of a work, originator of an idea). This ensures a broadening of the thematic and locational context of the conversation as a way of demystifying distances. It is a weekly show intended to be spontaneous (as much as technical requirements and logistics allow). Future episodes will feature intro/excerpts of new music tracks made by me. Other times, it will reference aural materials sourced from different corners of everyday life. It will be freshly served – nothing preserved in the freezer! Listeners are encouraged to join the conversation by leaving a comment on the episode in their preferred platform of listening. Selected comments will be addressed in a subsequent episode.Emeka Okereke (host)Available on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google Podcast, Stitcher, Overcast, etc.
Episodes
25 episodes
EP23: On Following The Intangible – with Genevieve White
In this episode, we journey with Genevieve White, a seasoned artist and performer, as she shares her path from her multicultural roots in Canada to the vibrant art scene of New York City—recorded in the tranquil atmosphere of Berlin’s Grunewald...
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Season 1
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Episode 23
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1:11:16

EP22: "Pleasures in the confusions of boundaries": Transdisciplinary Artistic Practices and Pedagogy – with Lukas Feireiss
In this episode of Dots of Thoughts, Emeka Okereke engages in a thought-provoking conversation with Berlin-based artist, producer, and scholar Lukas Freireiss. Renowned for his transdisciplinary approach, Lukas shares his practice of working in...
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Episode 22
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52:08

EP21: Dilemma of a New Age: Black Fathers, Resilence, Raising a Child in Berlin - with Alain Missala
Can the simple act of daily gratitude empower and transform your life? In this episode of Dots of Thoughts Podcast, recorded on-site at the Neue Berliner Kunstverein, host Emeka Okereke and guest, Alain Missala, explore the vibrant multi...
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Episode 21
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1:19:00

EP20: How Can Photography Shape Political Discourse in the 21st Century? – with Jane Tormey
In this episode, I discuss the book, "Photography and Political Aesthetics" with the author, art critic and professor, Jane Tormey. Our enlightening conversation traverses the landscape where artistry intersects with political fervo...
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Episode 20
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38:17

EP19: Polyrhythmic Weavings Across Countries, Continents, and Time – with Batila
This episode takes you on an auditory pilgrimage with the Berlin-based, musician, Batila, weaving the essence of his Congolese and Angolan heritage into a rich narrative that dances between the notes of his latest album, ...
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53:53

EP18: Rooftop Encounters, and "Living Tangier." – with Abdelmajid Hannoum
During a three-week residency in Tangier, Morocco, my friend and colleague, anthropologist Mathangi Krishnamurthy, and I, Emeka Okereke, had the privilege of meeting Abdelmajid Hannoum, whose book "Living Tangier" served as a springboard for ou...
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Episode 18
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58:33

EP17: Confronting Germany's past through colonial relics of the Prussian Palaces – with Carolin Alff
This episode was inspired by my participation in the exhibition "Prussian Palaces. Colonial Histories", taking place at the Schloss Charlottenburg Berlin. My guest, Carolin Alff, one of the exhibition's curators, guides us t...
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Episode 17
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1:02:54
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EP16: Exploring Existential Complexity: A Dive into 'Everything Everywhere All At Once' with You Kim.
If you've ever found yourself lost in the labyrinth of existence or pondering the multiverse and the many layers of our identity, my recent chat with the talented filmmaker and fashion model You Kim is sure to resonate with you. We venture into...
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Episode 16
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48:01
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EP15: Finding Home in the Body Through Dance and Ballet - with Diana Mora
In this episode of Dots of Thoughts, I am in conversation with Diana Mora. She is a ballet dancer. Her inclination to dance started from as early as the age of six, when she first watched Swan Lake. Supported by her mother, she studied and comp...
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Episode 15
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49:01

EP14: Being Palestinian, a Life of Permanent Temporality – with Bahaa Abudaya
In 2006, I remember photographing, in Paris, the protest against killings that then took place in Isreal and Palestine. In the photo, a father is clutching his little daughter on one hand, while with the other hand, waves a placard that reads “...
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Season 1
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Episode 14
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55:17

EP13: To Organise a place as if it was a photograph – with Eric Gyamfi
Eric Gyamfi (1990, Ghana) is a visual artist working with and within photography. This podcast conversation was induced by the inclusion of his work in the book, Africa State of Mind: Contemporary Photography Re-imagines A Continent “by Ekow Es...
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Episode 13
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1:04:42

DoTShorts #2: Inner Voice
In the second episode of Dots of Thoughts Shorts, Emeka shares a few thoughts and impulses about what the inner voice means for him. Duration: 9:19 mins. Join the conversation and leave a comment on your preferred list...
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Episode 2
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9:19

DoTShorts #1: What Are You Working For?
This is the debut episode of the bonus series called Dots of Thoughts Shorts (DoTshorts). Emeka Okereke gives a glimpse of his thoughts regarding the notion of work, and what work has come to signify for him. The episode is backdrop...
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15:47

EP12: Memory, Performance, Healing and Celebration in the Photographic works of Lebohang Kganye.
In the 12th Episode of Dots of Thoughts, Emeka Okereke reflects on the photographic work of Lebohang Kganye. Ke Lefa Laka: Her-story, was realised in 2013. It explores the relationship between Lebohang Kganye and her mother, who ...
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47:57

EP11: 21st Century Photographers Re-articulate The Continent – with Ekow Eshun
In this episode of Dots of Thoughts Podcast, Emeka Okereke is joined by Ekow Eshun to reflect on the book, “Africa State of Mind” edited by Ekow Eshun and published by Thames & Hudson. The book brings together works from 52 contemp...
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Season 1
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Episode 11
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53:57

EP10: Time does not pass. We, on the other hand, pass through it - and make forms of it (Part 3) with J. Redza
In this episode of "Time Does Not Pass. We, on the other hand, pass through it - and make forms of it", Emeka Okereke (Berlin) is in conversation with J. Redza (Kuala Lumpur). They reflect on the idea of Time in relation to age(ing). Th...
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52:38

EP09: Time does not pass. We, on the other hand, pass through it – and make forms of it (Part 2) with Jude Anogwih
"I am looking at Time as an element of art, an element of expression not as a clock or calendar. I am looking at the capacity you have as an individual to define a progression of your existence and your event."In this episode, ...
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Episode 9
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53:14

EP08: Time does not pass. We, on the other hand, pass through it – and make forms of it (part 1)
We often hear such expressions as "Time passes". "Don't waste time". "Buy time". "Spend time". But, is time quantifiable in the sense we use it? Isn't it a paradox, this inclination to contain what contains us? These are some of th...
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Episode 8
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13:54

EP07: The Legacy of Queen’s College – A Perspective on Radical Education for Women in Nigeria.
Founded in 1927, Queen's College, Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria is part of a formidable legacy addressing the gender disparities between male and female education in Nigeria spearheaded by a group of women who contributed to the founding of this country...
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47:56

EP06: Mama Margeret of Afroshop Tropical Markt – 25 Years of Making Life Matter in Berlin.
For 25 years, Madam Margaret Opambour-Adjei has run the Afroshop Tropical Markt, in Neukölln Berlin, where she sells foodstuffs, cosmetics and fabrics mainly from West Africa. Originally from Ghana, she migrated to Germany in 1988.
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Season 1
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Episode 5
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34:07
EP05: Dalit, A Quest For Dignity – Relating Image-Making to World-Making Through a Photo Book
In this Episode, Emeka Okereke (Berlin) connects, through a phone conversation, with Diwas Raja (Kathmandu) – writer, scholar and Lead Researcher at the Nepal Picture Library. Their discussion expands on the intentions and the operative premise...
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Season 1
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Episode 5
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44:50

EP04: It Takes Many Trees to Make a Forest – Tribute to Tony Allen
To dedicate a conversation to Tony Allen is to recall the rich history of African Music, unsurpassed wit and creative ingenuity, needful rebellion, activism and truly African artistic inventions and languages through that very melodious, harmon...
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Season 1
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Episode 4
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37:00

EP03: Morrison's Black Book, Chimurenga's Festac '77 – "Unwritable Stories" in a Book Form
In Episode 3 of Dots of Thoughts (DoT), Emeka Okereke reflects on a book which preoccupied him of late: Festac ‘77. This book, “decomposed, an-arranged and reproduced” by Chimurenga the Cape-Town based Pan African art space/publishers, is a com...
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Season 1
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Episode 3
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36:07

EP02: Neukölln to Bariga from a Bird's View
Features: Innocent Ekejiuba /Oladimeji Olasoju /Ade Bantu (Lagos, Nigeria)Host: Emeka Okereke (Berlin, Germany).Episode two of DoT is an extension of thoughts explored in episode one. This time, Emeka Okereke connects with Innocent ...
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Season 1
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Episode 2
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1:01:14

EP01: Social Distancing and Its Sides of The Coin
This debut episode of Dots of Thoughts takes as a prompt an essay I wrote in reference to the notion of social distancing and its many undertones especially in the context of Berlin, Europe where I am currently observing the lockdown. ...
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Season 1
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Episode 1
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31:54
