Art Calendar - 14 June 2022

The World Reimagined News - Artists' Announcement.

Two months to go for UK arts education project that transforms public spaces with globe trails

Expanding Soul, the globe by Carol Sorhaindo for Swansea

©The World Reimagined

Over two months, from 13 August to 31 October 2022, The World Reimagined will install over 100 large globe structures in seven cities across the UK. The sculptures will be created by artists to bring to life the reality and impact of the transatlantic trade in enslaved Africans, inviting the public to join in the dialogue and action to achieve racial justice.

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The World Reimagined is to be one of the largest racial justice arts education projects the UK has ever seen. The globe sculptures will play a vital role in helping people engage with this very important part of history and what it means to be British.

Announcement of the artists

Today the commissioned artists were announced who will create globes on themes ranging from "Mother Africa" and "The Reality of Being Enslaved" to "Still We Rise" and "Expanding Soul". Each globe offers the opportunity to participate in the discourse on racial justice and what it means to be British.

As a British project, each of the participating cities - Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool City Region, London and Swansea - will play a key role in curating and hosting artists who will design globes and bring their own perspective and artistic experience to working with this issue and the transformative power of art.

There will be 103 globe sculptures in the seven cities, and each pathway will consist of 10 globes: one for each of the nine themes of the Journey of Discovery. The tenth globe was designed by an artist in collaboration with local community groups.

Ashley Shaw Scott Adjaye, artistic director of The World Reimagined, said:

"Art has the unique ability to invite dialogue so that we can collectively process, participate and reflect. Artists remind us of who we are and help us imagine who we can be. I look forward to the whole country engaging with these globes and am very grateful that such incredibly talented, open and thoughtful artists are involved. They offer us different angles to understand the transatlantic trade in enslaved Africans and its legacy.

I hope the power of this project will contribute to a just and inclusive way forward."

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Chris Ofili CBE, open call judge and UK Turner Prize winner, said:

"As I looked at the many thoughtful entries, I realised the enormous responsibility we have in exhibiting work that addresses a difficult issue in prominent public spaces. It is exciting that we are putting these artists' works out into the world - literally onto the streets. And while we should be sensitive to concerns, we should not shy away from having uncomfortable conversations that these globes will undoubtedly spark. Artists have always done this, and the artists we have chosen will now have the opportunity to become part of that history.

Above all, I hope that these Globe Trails will be seen by younger people across the country - the young eye is much more open. By gaining a better understanding of the true history of the Black world, our younger generations will be better equipped to create a shared future that is more just and open."

World Reimagined artists for each city include:

Expanding Soul, the globe by Carol Sorhaindo for Swansea

©The World Reimagined

● Birmingham - Create Not Destroy, Jay Percy, Donna Newman, Kassessa Gandara, Tamika Galanis, Gabriel Choto, Gayani Ariyaratne, Pauline Bailey, Jess Perrin (with one commission to be confirmed soon).

Bristol - Emma Blake Morsi, Godfried Donkor, Leon Miller, Oshii Rowan, Bandele Iyapo, Adam Grose, Felix Braun, Jasmine Thompson, 3dom, Michele Curtis.

● Leeds - Rodell Warner, Mussarat Rahman, Marcia Brown, Ali Elly, Herfa Thompson, Larry Amponsah, Linnet Rubaya, Emmanuel Unaji, Gherdai Hassell, Rosanna Gammon.

● Leicester - Natasha Muluswela, Laura-Kate Pontefract, Roy Meats, Marcus Dove, Richard Rawlins, Zita Holbourne, Mighty Creatives' Hannaa Hamdache, Lakwena Maciver, Jarvis Brookfield (with one commission to be confirmed soon).

Liverpool City Region - Ras Akyem, Fiona Compton, Caroline Daly, Nicola Constantina, Jioni Warner, Amy Bourbon, Kimathi Donkor, Sumuyya Khader, Amber Akaunu, Bryony Benge-Abbott

● London (Hackney-Newham) - Kim Thompson, Sophie Mowat, Serena Sussex, Julian Knxx, Koby Martin, Olivia Twist, Catherine Chinatree, Lucy Edkins, Kazvare, Fiona Compton.

● London (Lambeth-Southwark) - Richard Mensah, Jasmine Girvan-Thomas, Susan Thompson, Alison Turner, Andrea Cumming, Alvin Kofi, Vashti Harrison, Dreph, Suchi Chidambaram, Birungi Kawooya (with one further commission to be confirmed soon).

London (Camden - Westminster) - POor Collective, Kialy Tihngang, Sohaila Baluch, Gregory Daines, Asiko Okelarin, Nadia Akingbule, Deanna Tyson, Foday Dumbuya, Geoffrey Chambers, Nicola Green, Shannon Bono.

● London (City of London) - Foluso Oguntoye, Winston Branch, Glen Brooks, Kione Grandison, Phoebe Boswell, Yinka Shonibare, Gail Stirling-Robertson, Gil Mualem-Doron, Natasha Muluswela (with one further commission to be confirmed soon).

Swansea - Mfikela Samuel, Laura Bolton, Abbi Bayliss, GE, Hazel Blue, Joshua Donkor, Joanna Cohn, Carol Sorhaindo, Parys Gardener, Kyle Legall.

Find out more

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