The Art of Resistance, an exhibition featuring the work of world-renowned graphic novelist and political cartoonist Ramón Nsé Esono Ebalé, is on display August 19 through December 13, 2019 at the FedEx Global Education Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
A reception celebrating the exhibition and featuring Ramón Nsé Esono Ebalé will take place on September 24, 2019. Katie Bowler Young, director of Global Relations at UNC-Chapel Hill, will provide welcoming remarks. Emily Burrill, director of the African Studies Center and associate professor in the Department of Women’s and Gender Studies and the Department of History at UNC-Chapel Hill, will lead a guided discussion with Ramón Nsé Esono Ebalé and Tutu Alicante, director of EG Justice.
Immediately prior to the reception, Ramón Nsé Esono Ebalé and Tutu Alicante will offer an optional guided tour beginning at 5 p.m. *Please note that the 5 p.m. tour is currently full, but an additional tour will now take place at 7:30 p.m. after the panel discussion.
All programming will take place in the Florence and James Peacock Atrium of the FedEx Global Education Center.
While this event is free, registration for both the guided tour and programming is requested. Interpretation services from Spanish into English will be available to guests.
Parking is available in the McCauley Deck underneath the FedEx Global Education Center starting at 5 p.m. Please note that with your registration, you will receive a ParkMobile app code for complimentary parking for the evening.
Additional Information on UNC-Chapel Hill’s New Weeknight Parking Policy
As of August 15, 2019, there is a $1 weeknight fee for many campus parking lots that were free previously, in effect from 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 a.m. Monday-Friday (no fee applies for the weekend, Friday at 5:00 p.m. through Monday at 7:30 a.m.). These weeknight fees can be paid using the ParkMobile app or with a credit or debit card or four quarters at a designated weeknight pay station. Paylots and meters operate as usual during weeknight hours. More information can be found on the Transportation and Parking website.
About the Exhibition
Esono Ebalé gained notoriety for criticizing the long-ruling, oppressive government of his native Equatorial Guinea. After living in exile from 2011 until 2017, Esono Ebalé was falsely imprisoned upon his return home. To call for his release, artists from around the world began a virtual collective and social media campaign using #FreeNseRamon. Inspiring others to contribute their own art in support of Esono Ebalé, the campaign culminated in his freedom in March 2018.
The Art of Resistance showcases artwork Esono Ebalé created prior to and during his imprisonment and original artwork created for the exhibition, as well as the art by those who advocated for him during his imprisonment.
The exhibition touches on themes of human rights and freedom of speech, as Esono Ebalé’s story and art implore audiences to see the right of expression as an essential human right. His work illustrates the dangers often faced by those who speak out against injustices.
The FedEx Global Education Center, located at 301 Pittsboro Street in Chapel Hill, is open weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and on Saturdays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The opening reception and exhibition are hosted by UNC Global and organized by the African Studies Center and Global Relations, in collaboration with EG Justice. Additional support by the College of Arts & Sciences; Center for European Studies; Curriculum in Global Studies; Humanities for the Public Good Initiative; and the Institute for Arts and Humanities.
Exhibition and event contact: Ingrid Smith, manager of events and exhibitions, UNC Global, ingrid.smith@unc.edu
Media contact: Katie Bowler Young, director of global relations, UNC Global, kbowler@unc.edu, 919.962.4504