Becoming Tree is a performance unfolding monthly throughout the entire duration of the exhibition When We See Us: A Century of Black Figuration in Painting, at Liljevalchs, in collaboration with Southnord. Rooted in dance and movement, the work turns the performer’s body into a vessel of rhythm, voice, and breath — where labor and recovery coexist in cycles of repetition and renewal. Blending French, English, Fongbe, and sound, the performance celebrates the richness of diasporic expression and echoes the exhibition’s pan-African and global dialogue. Like the sacred tree, it invites visitors to gather, to listen, and to imagine new stories of Black life, labor, and becoming.
Becoming Tree is created and performed by Freddy Houndekindo, an interdisciplinary artist working across dance, performance, text, and installation. His practice reflects on identity, Blackness, and masculinity. Houndekindo is currently completing a Master’s in Fine Art at Mejan (Kungliga Konsthögskolan) and previously danced with Cullberg (2018-2024).
This edition of Ravel has been supported by and curated with Freddy Houndekindo.