Anagonno Alagala (Anagonno of the Sky) by Mikael Owunna
Anagonno Alagala (Anagonno of the Sky)

2021

Signed and numbered, verso

Dye sublimation print on aluminum

24 x 36 inches (61 x 91.4 cm)
(Edition of 6 + 2 APs)
$10,000

40 x 60 inches (101.6 x 152.4 cm)
(Edition of 3 + 1 AP)
$20,000

The Anagonno Alagala is the final transformation of the human body that takes place after death in Dogon cosmology. When a person, “inne” dies, they become an anagonno fish again. Complex funerary rites are held to regroup the deceased’s spiritual forces. After the deceased has completed their final responsibilities on Earth, they transform into Anagonno Alagala, “anagonno of the sky,” where their role is to assist and direct the living from that point onward.

Work by Mikael Owunna