Extreme Collision. Hand-painted Ghana posters, 1990's

Ghana experienced a deep economic crisis in the late 1980s brought on by decades of corruption and political in stability. Driven by a lack of opportu nities, entrepreneurs spontaneously created a phenomenon unique on the continent: a network of travelling video screenings. To attract audiences to the theatres, they recruited local artists trained in urban business advertising to hand-paint commercial film posters on cotton flour sacks, which are easy to roll up, move and hang.

Extreme Collision presents a selection of posters from the 1990s created by 20 of the movement’s leading artists. These works fuse Ghana’s rich
artistic tradition with the influence of Western VHS cover advertising, revealing an extraordinary creative freedom. Bollywood, Hollywood and Hong Kong combine with local mythologies, reflecting the country’s contemporary concerns and desires.

Exhibition curated by Beatriz Leal-Riesco.
The exhibition is accompanied by the film series Africa Strikes Back (December 2025 – January 2026). Please check the programme on the Filmoteca de Catalunya’s website, as well as the other public activities related to the exhibition.