Nieuwe Instituut Screen Commission: interview with ÀsìkòNieuwe Instituut Screen Commission: interview with Àsìkò

Àsìkò was selected on the basis of his past work around Afrofuturism, the representation of ancestral communities and how this might inflect contemporary diasporic identities.

The Ori That Speaks is a contemplative encounter with the viewer, building on his research into Yoruba cosmology and Afrofuturist imagery. Yoruba refers to a large West African ethnic group and their related language and culture, mainly in Nigeria, where Àsìkò grew up, Benin and Togo.

Afrofuturistic imagery combines elements of science fiction, technology and African cultures to create a powerful, hopeful future focused on black identities and liberation. For The Ori That Speaks, he used AI for the first time as a tool to ‘think bigger and dream deeper’.

What brought you to this piece?
"The Ori That Speaks emerged during a period and introspection brought about my own seeking of the internal and eternal. I found myself drawn into a quieter, more intimate encounter with the idea of Ori—the Yoruba concept of the inner head, consciousness, and destiny. Rather than a narrative journey, I wanted to explore what happens in the moment of stillness, when Ori itself begins to speak. This work became a distilled meditation on presence, voice, and ancestral memory."

How would you describe its development and the concept behind it?
"The piece developed organically, moving from various visual experiments that grew into a single meditative film where the body becomes both vessel and witness. The concept is to create a visual prayer, a cinematic invocation where Ori is not silent but active, communicating with the self."

What you would like the audience to experience?
"I want the audience to experience stillness as transformation. To feel the weight of their own breath, to hear echoes of their own inner voice. The work is less about spectacle and more about resonance: a space where the viewer might sense their own alignment with self, ancestry, or destiny. It is an invitation to listen inward."

Is it a new piece and does it build upon previous work?
"This piece builds directly upon my previous explorations of Yoruba cosmology, ancestry, and Afrofuturism. In works like Walking with Ancestors, and Encoded Woman, I have been creating visual languages where African spiritual concepts are re-imagined in contemporary and futuristic forms. The Ori That Speaks is a continuation, but also a refinement: instead of large-scale narratives or expansive visual worlds, it focuses on intimacy, stillness, and the voice of Ori as a singular presence.

It is both new and continuous. New in that it is a first foray into using Ai to build moving image narrative structures. It began as a thread but it evolved into its own distinct piece—one that stands independently while still speaking to the larger body of work. It represents a deepening of my practice and use of Ai as a tool to imagine bigger and dream deeper, where Yoruba philosophy becomes not just visual inspiration but an experiential encounter for the audience."

Àsìkò was born in London, England. He spent his childhood in Lagos, Nigeria, and his teenage years in London. He currently works in London and Nigeria. His work has recently been exhibited in renowned galleries, including Gagosian in London. More information about Àsìkò can be found on his Instagram page and in an interview with The Guardian.

Nieuwe Instituut commissions artists to create new work specifically for the large screen in the entrance area of the Nieuwe Instituut. These commissions are carried out in collaboration with –1 Digital Lab.