We Were Here - The Untold History of Black Africans in Renaissance Europe
A screening and conversation with filmmaker Fred Kuwornu
We Were Here - The Untold History of Black Africans in Renaissance Europe by filmmaker Fred Kudjo Kuwornu sheds light on the overlooked presence of African and Black individuals in Renaissance Europe, highlighting their depiction in masterpieces by some of the era’s most celebrated artists. How did they come to Europe? Why were they portrayed? Were they truly all servants or slaves? If the Black faces portrayed in these Renaissance masterpieces could speak, what would they tell us?
Kuwornu is an Afro-Italian and U.S. multi-hyphenate socially engaged artist, filmmaker and scholar based in New York. His work bridges past and present, exploring identity and race through historical remixing of archival materials. Kuwornu's films have been exhibited at the 60ᵗʰ Venice Art Biennale (2024), Museum of Moving Image (NY), Library of Congress, and international film festivals.
Cosponsored by the Black Studies Project, Italian Studies, European Studies, and the Suraj Israni Center for Cinematic Arts as a part of the Black Europe Series and Black History Month 2025 at UC San Diego.
RSVP for the UCSD screening and discussion at eventbrite.com/e/we-were-here-film-screening-talk-withfilmmaker- fred-kudjo-kuwornu-tickets-1143478598269? aff=BSP
Wednesday, February 20, 2025 | 5:00-7:30 PM (PST)
The Mosaic Building 113 ("Mosaic 113") (map)
Event Schedule
5:00 PM: Refreshments in lobby
5:30 PM: Event introductions
5:45 PM: Film screening starts
6:45 PM: Q&A
7:30 PM: Event ends
Event Details
Cosponsored by the Black Studies Project, Italian Studies, European Studies, and the Suraj Israni Center for Cinematic Arts as a part of the Black Europe Series and Black History Month 2025 at UC San Diego.
About Fred Kudjo Kuwornu
Fred Kudjo Kuwornu is a multi-hyphenate socially engaged artist, filmmaker and scholar whose work is deeply influenced by his background as a person of African descent. Born and raised in Italy, Kuwornu is based in New York. His unique background is reflected in his triple citizenship, holding Italian, Ghanaian, and U.S. passports. By consistently bridging the past and present, the hegemonic and subaltern, the seen and unseen, Kuwornu's practice emerges as a vital contribution to contemporary visual culture, understanding the complex interplay between history, identity, race, and representation in our globalized world. Kuwornu's curatorial vision can be understood as a form of historical remixing in which he reconfigures archival materials and contemporary narratives to enlighten a rethinking of perspectives. His works have been exhibited at prestigious venues including the Central Pavilion at the Venice Art Biennale (2024), Museum of Moving Image in New York, Library of Congress, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, George Eastman Museum and numerous international film festivals.
More info: https://www.fredkuwornu.com
About the film We Were Here - The Untold History of Black Africans in Renaissance Europe
We Were Here - The Untold History of Black Africans in Renaissance Europe sheds light on the overlooked presence of African and Black individuals in Renaissance Europe, highlighting their depiction in masterpieces by some of the era's most celebrated artists. How did they come to Europe? Why were they portrayed? Were they truly all servants or slaves? If the Black faces portrayed in these Renaissance masterpieces could speak, what would they tell us?
Directed by award-winning filmmaker Fred Kudjo Kuwornu and produced by Do The Right Films, this multilingual documentary takes viewers on an expansive journey through the UK, Italy, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, and France, offering a compelling reexamination of European art history and its cultural legacy. Featuring insights from leading scholars in Art History, Black Studies, and History, alongside Black activists and curators, the film provides a rich, layered perspective on a neglected chapter of European history.
We Were Here has already attracted international attention, having been exhibited in the Central Pavilion curated by Adriano Pedrosa at the 60ᵗʰ International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale, which attracted 700,000 visitors. The documentary has received critical acclaim for its fresh, thought-provoking exploration of race, art, and identity in the Renaissance.
More Info: https://www.wewereherethefilm.com
Images on the flier are courtesy of the filmmaker. Featured is the official We Were Here film poster, a filtered copy of a kitchen maid still by Diego Velazquez, and a photo of Kuwornu at the Venice Biennale.
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