Axé Conference 2026: Spirituality, Memory, and Diasporic Knowledge in Dialogue

From 22–24 April 2026, the Axé Conference at the Weltmuseum Wien, co-organized by Mariama de Brito Henn and Luisa Karman, brought together scholars, artists, and independent researchers from Europe, Africa, and the Americas.

We heard stories and voices, spanning generations, from all over the globe: from our own children in the background to our grandparents and elders, the keepers of knowledge. We shared many emotions, in person and online, of belonging, pride in our cultures and connection, of struggles to overcome and hope for a better collective future. 

Across three days, panels addressed how Axé as a spiritual force is shaping artistic, ritual, memory and care practices within the part of the Black Diaspora that is rooted in the history of the transatlantic slave trade. Discussions centered around contested collections, what is object and spiritual care, songs and musical instruments as archives, ritual material culture, from food to fabrics, ancestral epistemologies, and the intersections of art and spirituality. The conference foregrounded living knowledge systems, embodied practices, and diasporic continuities, while critically reflecting on colonial histories, practices of repair, and the politics of memory.  

Thank you to all speakers, participants, and partners who joined us on site and online and contributed to this interdisciplinary exchange. Let’s stay in touch!