26 september, kl 13.00
Botkyrka konsthall

As a young Black man, I caught myself fantasising about prison. A place where I would retreat, train, and study philosophy, politics and religion, and miraculously come back a better man. Some kind of prophet. Many influential Black figures have gone through that same ritual of isolation, discipline and hardship to become who they became.

This fantasy was nourished by the fact that, as a Black man, there were spaces where I wasn’t allowed to be strong and others where I couldn’t afford to be weak. Prison, and its fantasy of isolation, seemed to offer a ground where, in some ways, I could become whole and free.

Pain, sacrifice and hardship seemed to be the immutable currency of a male fantasy of self-formation: if you suffer enough, discipline yourself enough, lock yourself in, you will eventually find yourself, rise, or become stronger. Whether in sport, career or personal development, the price to pay often equates to mental confinement.

Biography
Freddy Houndekindo is an interdisciplinary artist situated at the intersection of dance, performance, sculpture, text, film and installation. His work reflects on subjects such as identity, blackness and masculinity. Through the study and practice of various combat sports Freddy engages in a deep inquiry of male culture, violence and intimacy. Houndekindo completed a Master in Fine Art at the Royal institute of art in 2026 where he was awarded the Sverker and Birgittas scholarship to further develop his artistic research. And previously danced with Cullberg (2018-2024). Houndekindo’s ceramic reflect on questions surrounding labour, ancestry and spirituality. Working principally with handbuilding he is strongly influenced by African diasporic aesthetic. Trees and natural life are a major influence in his production.