Turakella Editha Gyindo: Testimonials for the body

Invited by Fondation H for a research and creation residency at the Cité internationale des arts in Paris, Turakella Editha Gyindo is developing the project “Testimonials for the body”, presented at the parisian space of Fondation H from 17 September 2025.

The project explores the connections between bodies through the loofah sponge — a plant-based material used to clean the body, objects, and domestic spaces. In Tanzania, Turekella’s home country, the loofah also holds symbolic significance as part of cleansing and care rituals. She combines loofah with pumice stone — both natural, abrasive materials traditionally associated with care — to evoke stories linked to the body, especially Black bodies. Using rough, abrasive materials to speak of care reflects a tension: that of healing marked by pain. This Paris residency allows her to expand her research across other cultural contexts, weaving links between communities through everyday objects. The installation, unfolding across both floors of the parisian space of Fondation H, becomes a site for storytelling, connection, and healing.