Why would an art installation be mounted in a science laboratory? The question is as much intriguing as full of suspense not only to the outsider but also to regular art connoisseur. In fact one can be tempted to conclude it was an alternative to the absence of space to exhibit the exploratory body of work. But in between this surprising aspect of the exhibition, is the strength and answer to the novel encounter. The Installation Abaana ba Kintu by artist Sheila Nakitende is about experimentation and representation. It examines and explores bark cloth as a traditional material used in Buganda which is the artist’s ancestral home. The Installation therefore is an opportunity to interrogate her cultural identity as a Buganda native (Muganda), but also break barriers of cultural stereotype. Traditionally, in Buganda women were barred from the act of crafting bark cloth (Okukomaga).
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