EINDHOVEN.- On view from 10 May to 21 September 2025 at the Van Abbemuseum in Eindhoven Ima­-Abasi Okon’s solo exhibition Incorporeal hereditaments like Love [can] Set(s) You Free, according to Kelly, Case, Dru Hill, Kandice, LovHer, Montel and Playa with 50 ­ 60g of –D,)e,l,a,y,e,d1;—O,)n,s,e,t2;— ;[heart];M,)u,s,c,l,e3;[heart];— S,)o,r,e,n,e,s,s4; opens May 10 in the Van Abbemuseum in Eindhoven. Ima­Abasi Okon presents a collection of old and new work in as many as 10 rooms of the historic section of the building. The exhibition raises questions about how ideas of improvement, used to justify the appropriation of land in settler colonialism, are still seen in today's focus on optimising the body.

New Commission

Okon draws on elements from road running in this exhibition. For instance, rubber mats typically used in races are incorporated into the installation. Conventionally placed at the start and finish lines to register an individual’s run time, these mats have been repurposed in the Van Abbemuseum to function differently. Here, the start and finish mats are positioned close together, alternately activating and deactivating a timer as visitors move through the galleries. Importantly, the time recorded is no longer tied to individual performance but is instead measured collectively. As more visitors enter the exhibition, the clock resets more frequently. This continuously interrupted, shared time is displayed live on a digital clock, where it becomes clear that time is not allowed to accumulate. With the active participation of its audience, Okon’s circuit slows down a system typically associated with speed, proficiency, and competition. Instead, the focus shifts to collective movement and alternative forms of validation, challenging conventional systems of power and approval.

Collaboration with Eindhoven Marathon

The commission is developed in relation to the annual ASML Marathon Eindhoven, in collaboration with its organizers Golazo and ASML. Okon’s work doubles as an autonomous path that will be used as part of the ASML Your Marathon Challenge. In the months leading up to the marathon weekend, participants complete 41 kilometres on their own —by walking or running. This challenge is open to people of all ages and fitness levels. The work encourages participants to follow their own capacities.

Based between London and Amsterdam, Okon works across sculpture, sound, and video to produce multilayered installations that draw upon a wide range of subjects.Okon’s work was previously shown at the Van Abbemuseum in the exhibition A Lasting Truth is Change (2022). Okon’s solo exhibition at the Van Abbemunsuem follows in the footsteps of Lee Lozano (2006­2007), Allan Kaprow (2007), Jo Baer (2009), Sheela Gowda (2013), Hito Steyerl (2015), Rasheed Araeen (2017), The Otolith Group (2019), Yael Davids (2020), León Ferrari and Gülsün Karamustafa (2021) and Sung Hwan Kim (2023), among others.