YUSSEF AGBO-OLA

Internationally recognised for his interdiscipli- nary practice at the intersection of art, archi- tecture, ecology, and spirituality, Agbo-Ola has participated in major institutional exhibitions and biennials including the Venice Architectu- re Biennale, the Sharjah Architecture Triennial, the Lagos Biennial, the Wuhan Biennale, and the Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale. His work has also been presented at institutions such as Serpentine Gallery, Palais de Tokyo, Van Abbemuseum, Museum Folkwang, Tai Kwun Contemporary, and Schering Stiftung.

Developed in dialogue with the historic archi- tecture and circulation of Passage Véro-Dodat, Inside the Waterfall, 12 Bones Birthed a Flower unfolds as an immersive spatial environment in which sculpture, material, sound, and ritual operate as interconnected elements. Drawing from Yoruba and Cherokee cosmologies, Ag- bo-Ola constructs spatial environments sha- ped by material interaction, ritual references, and sensory perception.

The exhibition draws on cosmological referen- ces in which water, bones, and flowers emerge as elements of transition and renewal, articu- lating ancestral, ecological, and spiritual di- mensions. Throughout the presentation, texti- les, cast metals, ceramics, stones, and organic matter are treated as active materials marked by transformation and use. Altar-like structu- res appear throughout the exhibition, opera- ting as ritual structures mediating spatial and symbolic relationships.

Agbo-Ola’s practice incorporates references to ritual architecture, biomimicry, and Afri- can fractal geometries, bringing these into dialogue with environmental research throu- gh material and spatial strategies. Through newly commissioned and site-specific works, the exhibition develops as a spatial environ- ment where sculpture, material, and architec- ture operate through processes of circulation, transformation, and exchange.