Hundreds of toothbrush heads, color-coded and arranged in large concentric circles. Thousands of paperchads resting in a chaotic yet harmonious pile. Scores of individual keyboard keys strung together, one by one. For artist and Mbare Art Space founder Moffat Takadiwa, the detritus from a dump site in Harare is more than unwanted, or lost, trash; it is his medium of choice in much of his recent artwork. In his first solo exhibition at the Art Museum and Galleries at Washington and Lee University, reclaimed materials coalesce to tell stories about memory, consumption and the footprints we leave in our wake.

More than a decade ago, Zimbabwe debuted its pavilion at the Venice Biennale, the illustrious international art and architecture exhibition, kickstarting a relationship that has continued to platform the creations of Zimbabwean artists under themes like “Dudziro” in 2013 and, most recently, “Undone.” This year’s theme, “Second Nature | Manyonga,” is an extension of curator Fadzai Veronica Muchemwa’s ethos of neuroplasticity, inviting five artists — Felix Shumba, Pardon Mapondera, Eva Raath, Gideon Gomo and Franklyn Dzingai — who work in media ranging from textiles to sculpture, to consider one of the central matters of our moment: technology and humanity.