CURATORIAL PROJECT:
THE ILLICIT GIN INSTITUTE
The Illicit Gin Institute is a radical think-tank founded by Saro-Wiwa. The Illicit Gin Institute uses palm wine spirits (also known as “illicit gin”) as a vehicle to reveal a deeper, richer story about the oil-cursed Niger Delta, the riverine region where this spirit production first proliferated in early 20th century Nigeria.
Also referred to as ‘kaikai’ or ‘ogogoro’, this West African moonshine is a spirit that is similar to tequila or clairin rum. All these spirits are distilled primarily by economically-challenged, rural-dwelling peoples. But unlike rum or tequila, palm wine liquor has not yet been understood, appreciated or exported globally. Saro-Wiwa sees a powerful metaphor in the journey of this secretive and maligned African spirit and her Illicit Gin Institute is the vehicle with which she seeks to mine the poetics and implications of this guerilla enterprise. Telling deeper stories about the Niger Delta, Africa and the world along the way.
Illicit Gin Institute projects include: a conceptual distillery in Port Harcourt where small-batch, experimental botanical gins are produced; a podcast; tasting events; a test kitchen and a studio producing art installations and performance lectures inspired by Saro-Wiwa’s research findings. The project also formally documents West African indigenous knowledge systems.
The Illicit Gin Institute is a natural extension of the artist's practice. The logical culmination of an art career dedicated to using contemporary art modalities to connect the world more deeply and expressively with the little-understood and undervalued Niger Delta. This work is about honouring and sharing the histories, creativity, sophistication and resilience of Niger Deltans who battle daily in a degraded environment and whose culture has been defined reductively by the excesses of Big Oil. In this smoky yet smooth palm wine spirit, Saro-Wiwa sees a potent vehicle for storytelling, regeneration and environmental repair. To learn more visit www.theillicitgininstitute.com
