Antonio Jose Guzman (b. 1971, Panama) & Iva Jankovic (b. 1979, Serbia) are artists based in the Netherlands. Drawing from a wide range of musical traditions, their soundscapes evoke the emotional weight of displacement and cultural belonging.
2025 Biennial Year Find out more
Antonio Jose Guzman and Iva Jankovic create works that merge historical narratives with contemporary global issues, using indigo textiles, sound, and live performances to address themes of colonialism, migration and cultural exchange that evokes a global connection between the Black Atlantic. Their practice is centered around the indigo dye, an ancient and sacred material with complex colonial ties, used as a lens through which they explore the transatlantic slave trade and the movement of people and knowledge across continents.
Their installations are known for their intricately patterned textiles, which are inspired by DNA sequences and from vernacular patterns that metaphorically trace intercultural connections within the African diaspora.The indigo-dyed fabrics serve as a canvas to explore identity, collective memories and the often-overlooked legacies of colonial histories.
Drawing from a wide range of musical traditions—electronic, dub, punk, and African percussion—their soundscapes evoke the emotional weight of displacement and cultural belonging. These sonic explorations become the foundation for their *Messengers of the Sun* performances, which combine dance, ritual, and procession to symbolically represent the intersections of cultural fusion.
Guzman and Jankovic’s work has been presented at prestigious venues worldwide, including the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, the Barbican Centre in London, Haus der Kulturen der Welt in Berlin, The Museum of Contemporary Art of Panama, as well as at major biennials such as Venice, Dakar, Guatemala, Havana, and Sharjah.
Liverpool Biennial 2025
'Concrete Roots / Griots Epic Stories from the Black Atlantic', 2025
Antonio Jose Guzman & Iva Jankovic’s collaborative practice uses textiles, soundscapes and performance to tell stories of migration, memory, and transcultural exchange. Rooted in Paul Gilroy’s ‘The Black Atlantic’ (1993), which proposes a ‘Transatlantic’ black culture incorporating elements from African, American, British, and Caribbean cultures, their work embraces the hybrid identities formed through the movement of people, culture, and knowledge across borders.
Part of their ongoing ‘Electric Dub Station’ series, this new work evokes the ruins of a past or Afro-futuristic city, embodying a textile Stonehenge where fragments narrate stories of recent urban unrest and global conflicts. Designed as a ritual space, the installation features dub-inspired sonic sounds which resonate within the structure.
Indigo dyeing – a practice rich in historical significance
Antonio Jose Guzman & Iva Jankovic’s collaborative practice uses textiles, soundscapes and performance to tell stories of migration, memory, and transcultural exchange. Rooted in Paul Gilroy’s ‘The Black Atlantic’ (1993), which proposes a ‘Transatlantic’ black culture incorporating elements from African, American, British, and Caribbean cultures, their work embraces the hybrid identities formed through the movement of people, culture, and knowledge across borders. Part of their ongoing ‘Electric Dub Station’ series, this new work evokes the ruins of a past or Afro-futuristic city, embodying a textile Stonehenge where fragments narrate stories of recent urban unrest and global conflicts. Designed as a ritual space, the installation features dub-inspired sonic sounds which resonate within the structure. Indigo dyeing – a practice rich in historical significance – has become a recognisable feature of the duo’s works, used to symbolise colonial exploitation and cultural resilience. The Transatlantic Slave Trade, in which Liverpool played a pivotal role, made Indigo a valuable commodity. It was cultivated and processed under harsh conditions by enslaved Africans and even used as currency in exchange for enslaved people, bringing in greater profits than those of sugar and cotton in the 1700s. Indigo was also grown by oppressed farmers in colonial India. It played a central role in the 19th-century Indigo Revolt in Bengal, a pivotal uprising that exposed colonial exploitation and helped lay the groundwork for India’s independence movement. The indigo used here was harvested by farmers in Tamil Nadu and printed at Sufiyan Khatri’s workshop in Ajrakhpur, Gujarat, India, where the artists regularly collaborate. By reclaiming these narratives and investing in craft and traditional farming practices, the artists seek to confront the complexities of cultural identity in a globalised world. Presented alongside the textile work is Toxteth Dub Sonic Soundscape Vol. 07 mixed and composed for the city by the artists. Courtesy of the artists. Commissioned by Liverpool Biennial, with support from Mondriaan Fund and Embassy of Panama in London. Showing at Walker Art Gallery
'Concrete Roots / Griots Epic Stories from the Black Atlantic', 2025
Showing at Walker Art Gallery
Daily 10am–5pm-
Antonio Jose Guzman and Iva Jankovic, Concrete Roots Griots Epic Stories from the Black Atlantic 2025. Liverpool Biennial 2025 at Walker Art Gallery. Photography by Mark McNulty.
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Antonio Jose Guzman and Iva Jankovic, 'Intergalactic Dub Frequencies and Massive Basslines', 2025. Liverpool Biennial 2025 at Walker Art Gallery. Photography by Mark McNulty.
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Antonio Jose Guzman and Iva Jankovic, 'Intergalactic Dub Frequencies and Massive Basslines', 2025. Liverpool Biennial 2025 at Walker Art Gallery. Photography by Mark McNulty.
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Antonio Jose Guzman and Iva Jankovic, Concrete Roots Griots Epic Stories from the Black Atlantic 2025. Liverpool Biennial 2025 at Walker Art Gallery. Photography by Mark McNulty.
Liverpool Biennial 2025
'Toxteth Dub / Maps and Orientations from beyond the Blue', 2025
Antonio Guzman & Iva Jankovic’s collaborative practice uses textiles, soundscapes and performance to tell stories of migration, memory, and transcultural exchange. Their work is rooted in Paul Gilroy’s book ‘The Black Atlantic’ (1993), which proposes a ‘Transatlantic’ Black culture incorporating elements from African, American, British, and Caribbean cultures. The artists embrace the hybrid identities formed through the movement of people, culture, and knowledge across borders.
Part of their ongoing ‘Electric Dub Station’ series, this new work commissioned for Liverpool Biennial 2025, uses a map to examine Liverpool’s colonial legacy and the demonstrations of 2024. Incorporating indigo dyeing, patching and Instagram posts, the design and technique symbolise both colonial exploitation and cultural resilience. Indigo became a valuable commodity during the
Antonio Guzman & Iva Jankovic’s collaborative practice uses textiles, soundscapes and performance to tell stories of migration, memory, and transcultural exchange. Their work is rooted in Paul Gilroy’s book ‘The Black Atlantic’ (1993), which proposes a ‘Transatlantic’ Black culture incorporating elements from African, American, British, and Caribbean cultures. The artists embrace the hybrid identities formed through the movement of people, culture, and knowledge across borders. Part of their ongoing ‘Electric Dub Station’ series, this new work commissioned for Liverpool Biennial 2025, uses a map to examine Liverpool’s colonial legacy and the demonstrations of 2024. Incorporating indigo dyeing, patching and Instagram posts, the design and technique symbolise both colonial exploitation and cultural resilience. Indigo became a valuable commodity during the Transatlantic Slave Trade, in which Liverpool played a pivotal role. It was cultivated and processed under harsh conditions by enslaved Africans and even used as currency in exchange for enslaved people, bringing in greater profits than those of sugar and cotton in the 1700’s. Indigo was also grown by oppressed farmers in colonial India. It played a central role in the 19th-century Indigo Revolt in Bengal, a pivotal uprising that exposed colonial exploitation and helped lay the groundwork for India’s independence movement. The indigo used here was harvested by farmers in Tamil Nadu and printed at Sufiyan Khatri’s workshop in Ajrakhpur, Gujarat, India, where the artists regularly collaborate. By reclaiming these narratives and investing in craft and traditional farming practices, the artists seek to confront the complexities of cultural identity in a globalised world. Presented alongside the textile work is Toxteth Dub Sonic Soundscape Vol. 07 mixed and composed for the city by the artists. Courtesy of the artists. Commissioned by Liverpool Biennial with support from Mondriaan Fund and Embassy of Panama in London Showing at Tate Liverpool + RIBA North
'Toxteth Dub / Maps and Orientations from beyond the Blue', 2025
Showing at Tate Liverpool + RIBA North
Monday to Sunday 10.00am-5:50pm-
Antonio Jose Guzman & Iva Jankovic, ‘Toxteth Dub Maps and Orientations from beyond the Blue’, 2025. Liverpool Biennial 2025 at Tate Liverpool + RIBA North. Photography by Mark McNulty.
Venue
Tate Liverpool + RIBA North
21 Mann Island, Liverpool L3 1BPAccess facilities available
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Venue
Walker Art Gallery
William Brown Street, Liverpool, L3 8ELAccess facilities available
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