We are pleased to welcome Ng’onga Silupya, a Lusaka-based curator, cultural practitioner, arts administrator, and art writer, to G.A.S. Lagos for an immersive one-week research residency. Working across performance, dance, literature, digital culture, ecology, and curatorial research, Ng’onga investigates how contemporary art and cultural heritage can help shape more habitable and equitable societies. Her practice draws on mediation, cultural and visual studies, and art history, engaging narratives and indigenous sustainable practices connected to diverse ethnic groups in Zambia and beyond.
While in Lagos, Ng’onga hopes to connect with organisations and practitioners working at the intersection of curatorial practice and digital platforms, mapping opportunities for knowledge exchange and future collaboration. Over the course of her stay, she plans to visit libraries, museums, archives, and cultural spaces in the city, including the Centre for Contemporary Art, Lagos (CCA Lagos). The residency forms part of her broader inquiry into contemporary art as a mode of resistance to colonial legacies and a living archive of cultural memory.
Hidden Treasure, a solo exhibition by Kaluba Blanco Chilawa at TotalEnergies Art Gallery, Lusaka, curated by Silupya Ng’onga. Image courtesy of Alex Sikazwe.
What is the current focus of your creative practice?
My current focus is to explore how contemporary art and cultural heritage contribute to transforming societies into more habitable and inclusive places. I am also researching how contemporary art functions as a form of resistance to colonialism, reclaiming cultural memory while opening possibilities for more equitable futures.
Silupya Ng’onga, community art project developed as part of her MA in Curatorial Practice. Image courtesy of the artist.
What drew you to apply for this residency and how do you think it will inform your wider practice?
I was shortlisted through TheMuseumLab 2025, to be part of this residency based on my research and curatorial interests around in contemporary Art and colonialism. Aside from that, I have always been fascinated by the art and cultural scene in Nigeria. Having been exposed to Nigerian movies and music at a young age, I developed a keen interest in Nigerian literature, particularly through Novels Like Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe during my secondary school years. I believe my participation in this residency will greatly inform my curatorial practice from an African region perspective. Zambia has a small art scene, which is slowly growing, with encounters such as G.A.S. Foundation, which is doing great. My approach will be influenced, and i hope to implement the knowledge i will acquire and share during this short period.
Exhibition at the Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe. Image courtesy of Joseph Mvula.
Can you give us an insight into how you hope to use the opportunity?
Through this residency, I hope to build relationships that encourage cultural exchange and meaningful artistic collaboration. I am particularly interested in learning and sharing knowledge around curatorial practice in African contemporary art, while also engaging with themes of colonialism and resistance. During my time in Lagos, I plan to visit museums, archives, and cultural spaces, and connect with practitioners working with digital platforms to map opportunities for dialogue and future collaboration.
About Ng’onga Silupya
Ng’onga Silupya is a curator, cultural practitioner, arts administrator and art writer based in Lusaka, Zambia. Her curatorial perspective is informed by theories of mediation, cultural studies, visual studies and art history. Her research interests lie in reimagining societies and communities by embracing indigenous and culturally sustainable practices through contemporary art to address socio-political and environmental issues. She associates her work with narratives and local practices connected with various ethnic groups in Zambia and across the globe. Recent roles include Curator at the Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe Historical Museum (2024), Curator-in-Residence at Hordaland Kunstsenter in Bergen, Norway (2024), and participant in the 2024 Latitudes Online Curatorial Lab. She currently serves on the Executive Board as Vice-National Secretary of the Zambia National Visual Arts Council and heads the exhibitions committee at the Henry Tayali Art Gallery.
Image courtesy of Joseph Mvula.
Ng'onga residency is generously supported by The Museums Lab.