Paul Nataraj

Patrick Ngabonziz. Photo: James Merrell

MEET the UK artists selected for Contested desires: Constructive dialogue

We're delighted to announce the two artists from the North of England selected to take part in Contested Desires: Constructed Dialogues (CDCD).

Congratulations to Paul Nataraj and Patrick  Ngabonziza.

They join twenty artists from around the world to delve into the complexities of Europe's colonial legacy. From Italy to Ghana, Tunisia to Chile, CDCD sets out to discover the connections between our past and present, fostering dialogue and understanding across diverse perspectives.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who applied to CDCD. The selection process was highly competitive, and we were inspired by the depth and breadth of artistic perspectives showcased in the applications. 

Over the next three years, the artists will explore the themes of the programme through research and practice across  international residencies, exhibitions and knowledge exchange. Paul will journey to Hungary and Portugal, while Patrick's residencies will take place in Chile and Italy. In 2026 all the artists will come together at the Xarkis festival in Cyprus.

Funded by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union, the programme consists of 19 global partners aiming to unravel the influence of our shared colonial past on cultural identities today. Find out more: https://contesteddesires.eu/ 

more about the artists

​​​Paul Nataraj 

Paul works with sound, text and recorded archive materials to explore the relationships between memory and sound, with a focus on stories of migration, diaspora and postcolonial identity. Paul is interested in the legacy of tensions between communities after moments of national fractures. Beginning with ethnographic interviews and library research, his performances and installations examine the deep entanglements of a postcolonial mixed-race experience, drawing on his own lived experience. He is currently part of the major touring exhibition Jerwood Survey III and his latest chapter is published in the book ‘Sonic Faction: Audio Essay as Medium and Method’ out now on Urbanomic.

For CDCD Paul plans to grow a record, nurtured from living materials and continually imprinted throughout the project with recordings and interviews with marginalised sets of voices captured during his residencies to examine the ways in which the past impacts both the present and the future. 

​Patrick Ngabonziza​

Patrick  is a contemporary artist of Rwandan heritage, engaging with mediums of performance and installation. Patrick  explores and investigates themes of African traditions and cultural norms, examining their effect and impact on people from the global south who were born or have lived in western communities for most of their lives. Their aim is to engage with unconventional performance settings and digital platforms to document work that promotes visibility and accessibility. They strive to work collaboratively, seeking opportunities for the exchange of knowledge and the inclusion of diverse creative skills.

For CDCD, Patrick will explore the monolithic categorisation of black people’s identity in the western gaze, aiming to reflect the rich cultural influences and varied, vibrant and complex environments where black experiences and histories differ greatly. By looking deeply at the display of work of African artists in institutional settings with local communities, the work aims to rethink how traditional arts can be presented in their full, diverse and complex context.

Find out more: www.patrickziza.com ​