Truth, Justice, and Performative Knowledge: Chokri Ben Chikha’s Theatrical “Truth Commission” on (Neo)colonial Injustices

Abstract

Chokri Ben Chikha, performance artist and historian, spent four years of research on colonial environments on World Exhibitions, especially on the World Exhibition of Ghent (Belgium) in 1913. In Ghent, villages with natives from the Philippines and Senegal were exhibited. Eventually, a Filipino died from the cold climate, thus causing upheaval. The “authentic” villagers were actually on tour; they behaved, just as Barnum & Bailey’s did, as troupes of popular, “educational” entertainment. But they also constituted loci where colonial relationships were performed. In April 2013, Chokri Ben Chikha and his brother Zouzou made a theatrical performance based upon Chokri’s research: De Waarheidscommissie or “truth commission.” They created this particular kind of commission in order to investigate the facts about what had happened during the Ghent World Fair of 1913, and contemporary cultural practices that presumably reproduced these hierarchical north-south relationships, willingly or not, such as postcolonial performance, and “orientalist” entertainment. This ‘truth commission’ and its witness stand included both experts and actors. They developed scenarios for judgment, compensation and reconciliation in contexts of historical and contemporary (neo)colonial misdemeanor. Finally, the audience was invited to decide about the best solution. What could be the epistemological plus-value of this performative treatment of past and present injustices? In different contexts, truth (and reconciliation) commissions have proven to play a crucial role in political transitions. The specific performative nature of these commissions was often decisive for their impact on these processes. This paper focuses on the question of whether or not, and to what degree, an artificial event, using artistic means, is able to enhance insights in these efforts of “truth & reconciliation,” especially when dealing with historical injustice.