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Gagosian is pleased to announce I Do Not Come to You by Chance, an exhibition of new work by Amoako Boafo. Titled after Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani’s 2009 novel, it marks the artist’s debut at Gagosian London and his first solo presentation in the United Kingdom. The exhibition incorporates paintings into a transformative and involving design conceived by the artist in collaboration with architect and designer Glenn DeRoche of DeRoche Projects—who previously worked with Boafo on dot.ateliers | Ogbojo, the writers’ and curators’ residency program he established in Ogbojo, Ghana, in 2024—and extends his exploration of space and community.

Glenn DeRoché and Juergen Strohmayer use local and low-carbon materials to transform the home of a youth empowerment organisation in Busua. Busua is well known for its waves. Located in the Western Region of Ghana, the long stretches of sandy beaches with point breaks that suit different levels of skill continue to attract the country’s growing surfing community. One organisation that has gathered at its edges is Surf Ghana, a youth empowerment group founded in 2017 by Sandy Alibo. The organisation began in a small single-room building located on the beach, but it quickly became unfit for their large membership, and so Alibo reached out to two Ghana-based architects, Glenn DeRoché and Juergen Strohmayer, to see if they would be interested in taking on the project. ‘It’s a small creative scene in the area,’ says DeRoché. ‘Sandy was aware of our individual work in Ghana and was interested in inviting us to work on the re-design together.’

Plugin Busua juxtaposes architectural fragments with contextual film footage and sound to translate the spatial effects of an existing community surf lodge in Busua, Ghana. The installation examines the interplay between architectural tectonics and community inhabitation; the urban and ecological scenarios that unfold, catalysed through architectural forms. Largescale fragments of the built form are hung to create an immersive spatial installation that communicates the tectonics of the architectural realisation. A screen is suspended between the monolithic fragments, showing moments of activity, quotidian scenarios, and community inhabitation of the structure. Through the visual layering of physical fragments and film, and the use of site-specific sound, the work translocates the effects of the architectural adaptive reuse project into the exhibition – providing visitors with an abstract, yet descriptive, experience specific to the place.

Surf Ghana Collective repurposes an existing building to create a dynamic community space which empowers youth in Busua, a small town and surfing hotspot on Ghana’s western coast. The community-run enterprise plugs into a network of surf schools and oceanfront lodges. The adapted single-room structure is used flexibly throughout the year and provides the first hangout spot for local youth. For large surf events, the room acts as a classroom and dormitory for visiting surfers. In off seasons, the building is rented out to cover running costs. The co-operative encourages community collaboration, self-reliance, and entrepreneurship.