# Sadie Coles HQ Presents Karimah Ashadu's 'MUSCLE' at DOKfilm Festival, Kassel

- Published: 2026-11-10
- Source: Sadie Coles HQ (Gallery)
- Press release dated: 2026-11-10
- Event date: 2026-11-21
- Category: Exhibition
- Original release: https://www.sadiecoles.com/news/screening-karimah-ashadu-muscle-2025
- Canonical: https://culturalsignal.com/sadie-coles-hq-presents-karimah-ashadus-muscle-at-dokfilm-festival-kassel

## The Facts

On November 10, 2026, Sadie Coles HQ announced the screening of Karimah Ashadu's 2025 film 'MUSCLE' at the DOKfilm Festival in Kassel. The film will screen on November 21, 2026, at 10:15 p.m. at BALi-Kinos Cinema. 'MUSCLE' depicts bodybuilders training in a makeshift gym in Lagos, with the camera focusing on their bodies and the sounds of exertion. The work considers how Black male bodies are perceived without fixing them in a single narrative.

## The Signal

The screening at DOKfilm Festival, a documentary film festival, positions Ashadu's work within a broader cinematic context, potentially attracting new audiences from the film world. 'MUSCLE' offers a nuanced portrayal of masculinity and labor, and its inclusion in a festival program signals the cross-disciplinary appeal of her practice. Sadie Coles HQ's presentation of the screening reinforces the gallery's role in supporting artists who work across media.

---
The Cultural Signal — independent art-world news wire. Cite with a link to https://culturalsignal.com/sadie-coles-hq-presents-karimah-ashadus-muscle-at-dokfilm-festival-kassel
Free daily briefing: https://culturalsignal.com/subscribe