The Kunsthalle Wien is currently showcasing a major solo exhibition by Ghanaian artist Ibrahim Mahama, featuring an extraordinary centerpiece that has captured visitors' attention: a full-size diesel locomotive installed inside the gallery space. The exhibition, running until November 2nd, presents an impressive collection of new commissioned works including sculptures, photographs, and videos that continue Mahama's intensive exploration of colonialism, post-colonialism, and industrialization's legacy in Ghana.
Mahama's artistic practice revolves around the material remnants of historical power structures, based on collecting, archiving, and recontextualizing objects, buildings, and ephemeral materials. What began with used jute sacks and shoemaker boxes has evolved into a far-reaching project where Mahama now preserves and transforms entire locomotives, aircraft, and decommissioned industrial facilities. The Kunsthalle Wien itself has been wrapped with a 62-meter painting as part of the exhibition's visual impact.
At the heart of the Vienna exhibition lies Mahama's engagement with the history of Ghana's railway network, which was constructed in the late 19th century under British colonial rule. The exhibition's centerpiece involves the deconstruction, transportation, and installation of a full-size diesel locomotive—one of several British and German machines that Mahama has acquired since 2022. This locomotive is supported by thousands of enameled iron bowls called "headpans," vessels commonly used in Ghanaian daily life for carrying goods on one's head.
Mahama collected these headpans by exchanging new ones for used ones, creating a meaningful connection between contemporary Ghanaian life and colonial history. Stacked beneath the locomotive, these bowls form a foundation that literally and metaphorically bears the weight of history. The artist explains his fascination with the material's vulnerability: "I'm interested in the idea of this heavy material being so fragile near water. It can dissolve within a few decades. So I started thinking about how I could collect it. The rails are different—they're made of solid cast iron and could take a thousand years to rust. The train bodies, however, are thin-walled and could disappear within a century."
The exhibition also features over 100 X-ray images of spinal deformations, displayed within a metal framework extracted from the train itself. Through this powerful visual metaphor, Mahama references the people on whose backs colonial infrastructure was literally built. These medical images serve as a haunting reminder of the human cost of colonial projects and the physical toll on those who constructed these transportation networks.
This marks Mahama's first solo exhibition in Austria, representing a significant moment for both the artist and the Kunsthalle Wien. The exhibition includes "Purple Hibiscus," described as Mahama's first colorful installation, demonstrating the evolution of his artistic practice. The comprehensive show occupies the first floor of the MuseumsQuartier location, creating an immersive environment that challenges visitors to confront the complex legacy of colonialism through material culture.
The Vienna exhibition continues Mahama's broader artistic mission of preserving and transforming industrial heritage while questioning power structures and their lasting impact. By bringing a diesel locomotive into the pristine gallery space and supporting it with everyday objects from Ghanaian life, the artist creates a powerful dialogue between past and present, colonial exploitation and contemporary reality. Visitors have until November 2nd to experience this thought-provoking installation that transforms the gallery into a space for historical reflection and artistic innovation.
