Important symposium this weekend at the ICA for the anniversary of Mirage, 20 years on.
The 1995 project of Mirage: Enigmas of Race, Difference & Desire curated by David A. Bailey in collaboration with INIVA, examined the importance of Frantz Fanon's writings and protesting the absence of diversity in art. On the anniversary of that project, the symposium highlighted the questions and notions that were posed then, to consider them in relation to today. Looking at the practices of art and institutions according to decolonizing culture, identity and race. Asking, how to bring about more diverse representation and avoid the traps of a monoculture.
Art, and today the digital world, are and have been used as tools, to push boundaries, and create forms of resistance.
The 1995 project of Mirage: Enigmas of Race, Difference & Desire curated by David A. Bailey in collaboration with INIVA, examined the importance of Frantz Fanon's writings and protesting the absence of diversity in art. On the anniversary of that project, the symposium highlighted the questions and notions that were posed then, to consider them in relation to today. Looking at the practices of art and institutions according to decolonizing culture, identity and race. Asking, how to bring about more diverse representation and avoid the traps of a monoculture.
Art, and today the digital world, are and have been used as tools, to push boundaries, and create forms of resistance.
The speakers in order of appearance :
Allison Thompson, Director of the Centre for the Visual and Performing Arts at the Barbados Community College, discussing Black Diaspora Visual Arts in Barbados, building a platform for Caribbean artists in Barbados.
Allison Thompson highlighting artist Indrani Nayar-Gall's art work on identity. Members of the public were able to draw their own identity on Nayar-Gall's template. The following day, they would be erased to make room for new members of the public to draw theirs.
Morgan Quaintance, writer, musician, broadcaster and curator mentioning his thoughts on institutions, galleries are "radical in theory and neoliberal in practice" and there's "still so much to be done, still so much injustice". His work at Dam Projects, a curatorial collective, showcases emerging and underexposed artists.
Artist Evan Ifekoya declares "making space for language we don't understand is really crucial". The image on the screen is a spoof of the identity rows that surrounded Rachel Dolezal.
Lyle Ashton Harris, artist and Assistant Professor of Art at the University of New York, showcases his work featuring an archive of his personal photos over the music of Grace Jones. The picture in the background is of photographer Nan Goldin. Art is "Redefining the space outside the Institution".
Yasmina Reggad, writer, curator, and curator for Art Dubai Projects 2016. She highlights the notion of techno diaspora, showcasing here the list of many phone calls she had done in the last four months in relation to her work in the arts. She brought forth her idea of the body being static in relation to crossing different time zones, moving from one country to the other in a state of techno diaspora through the power of a call.
Yasmina Reggad performs, moving from one time zone to the other citing "my best friend was the world clock". Her performance explained the movement of her conversation, her voice, whilst being static in front of her computer. She discovered "networks creating networks discovering new networks" , questioning, if " can this help those with reduced mobility?" For instance for a person who may need a visa to travel. With Skype and other forms of technology, new notions around diaspora start to form.
Osei Bonsu, writer and curator, talking about Identity Politics, questioning if "my race means i could or should be interested in post-colonialism" and wanting "to make myself scarce" in relation to detachment of identity.
Greg de Cuir Jr, selector/curator for Alternative Film/Video Belgrade, discussing Film in relation to Fanon. Quoting Fanon "I can't go to a film without seeing myself" "I wait for myself". Greg de cuir discussing if humanity "refuse to see?" and the "acknowledgment of 'the other'".
Melanie Keen, Director of Iniva, speaks on "visual culture entangled with politics", as well as it "seeping through different channels" and highlighting the "role of the artists as political agents".
David A. Bailey MBE, curator, photographer and writer. Bringing back Mirage: 20 Years On.
The symposium at the ICA brought about for the anniversary of Mirage 20 years on, raised some important notions and questions. Such as, has social media created a shift in postcolonial theory since 1995? Technology has enabled all people if not most to have a voice, a space to say what one thinks, however who's listening, how many people can we each reach? In relation to creating a piece of art, a film, as Greg de Cuir mentioned, a film can be made, and brought to screen but "how do we bring the bodies into the cinema?"
The panel finished the day referencing Fanon's relevance today, after some discussion, it was generally agreed, that, though the circumstances during Fanon's time have changed, the notion and ideas behind his writings are still prevalent and important. As a man named George from the audience expressed "Thinking with Fanon different to following Fanon".
The panel finished the day referencing Fanon's relevance today, after some discussion, it was generally agreed, that, though the circumstances during Fanon's time have changed, the notion and ideas behind his writings are still prevalent and important. As a man named George from the audience expressed "Thinking with Fanon different to following Fanon".
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