Navigating through German Colonial Past in Tanzania through Artistic Productions

Abstract

There are various works of arts that represent German colonial history in Tanzania. Such artistic productions linked to cultural productions depict not only the history of Tanzania in relation to the colonial past but also reflect the current struggles to overcome the colonial legacy. This study is informed by qualitative research methods including observations, interviews and documentary review. The study is based on the interpretation of artistic productions and linkages to decoloniality discourse. Six artistic works were used as a case study. These were Nkhomanile (2006), Mkwawa (2011), MV Liemba (2015), Maji Maji Flava (2016), Skull X 2016) and Mangi Meli Remains (2018). The study argues that the artistic productions under review depict German colonial history in Tanzania. The depiction underscores the exploitative, violent and brutal nature of that history. Significantly, the colonised did not sit back and watch because they had resisted the German occupation of their land as most of the productions illustrate. However, such artistic productions are informed mostly by the funding agencies and audiences which appear predefined for such productions. Therefore, it is important to research further on the nature and behaviour of the audience of the artistic productions linked to the historical colonialism.