As part of the art trail commissioned by the Seine-Saint-Denis Department centered on the Angela Davis Middle School, Manifesto and Écouter Pour Voir invited Maya Inès Touam to create a photographic series dedicated to Angela Davis and the struggles she embodies. The trail consists of 70 art panels and two murals, spread across four sites around the middle school.

Titled by the artist “Angela Davis, the figure whose struggles continue to shape our world,” the project brings together still lifes composed of symbolic objects, chosen for their political, personal, or commemorative significance. Through this work, the artist explores the concepts of transmission, equality, feminism, and intersectionality. The work was partially created in collaboration with two 8th-grade classes at the middle school, as part of an educational program conducted in parallel with the art project. In particular, the students were invited to select personal and symbolic objects, which were then incorporated into certain compositions.

The exhibition was partially developed with two 8th-grade classes at the middle school, as part of 20 hours of educational workshops. Led by Grace Ly and the Departmental Archives, this program allowed for further reflection on memory, representations, and legacies. In particular, the students were invited to select personal and symbolic objects that were incorporated into certain photographic compositions.

The first section of the exhibition was unveiled in early June 2026, coinciding with the presentation of this body of work. Punctuated with quotes and references to socially engaged figures—from Kiyémis to Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie—these initial photographs form a body of work that is at once political, collective, and commemorative.

Artistic Direction: Manifesto and Malte Martin / Écouter Pour Voir
Executive Production: Manifesto and Octopus
Technical Direction: Octopus