A is for Art and Activism
This week, in Arts Community and Activism, we will be looking at contemporary creatives who unapologetically use their art to advocate for change, fight against injustice and support others through their work...
September 8, 2021

Zanele Muholi

Zanele Muholi is an acclaimed photographer and activist whose powerful and expansive collection of works has captured the attention of the art world on an international scale. They have sought to use their voice and art to advocate for equality and change: co-founding the Forum for Empowerment of Women (FEW) and founding the queer and visual activist platform, Inkanyiso. The South African visual activist has documented, fought for, and celebrated the lives of Black LGBTQIA+ communities for over 10 years. Their recent exhibition at Tate Modern in 2020-21 was an intimate and impactful window into the violence and prejudice the LGBTQIA+ community faces in South Africa.

Muholi’s photo series Only Half the Picture documents survivors of hate crimes living across South Africa and its townships. In their piece ‘Aftermath’ viewers are shown the scarring of a person who has been a victim to hate crime. This piece is telling of the many traumas people face and is captured in this gelatine silver print. There is something vulnerable, delicate, and sorrowful in the soft lighting and composition deployed by Muholi. They have framed the hesitant body language of the figure and drawn our attention to the marking of the scar and tender hands.

Zanele Muholi, Aftermath, From the series Only Half the Picture, Photograph, Tate © Zanele Muholi
Zanele Muholi, Aftermath, From the series Only Half the Picture, Photograph, Tate © Zanele Muholi
Zanele Muholi, ID Crisis, From the series Only Half the Picture, Photograph, Tate © Zanele Muholi
Zanele Muholi, ID Crisis, From the series Only Half the Picture, Photograph, Tate © Zanele Muholi

Alfredo Rostgaard

Alfredo Rostgaard was a Cuban graphic designer and artist known for his revolutionary Cuban film and political posters. He has worked with many Cuban agencies such as: the Instituto Cubano del Arte e Industria Cinematográficos (ICAIC), Organisation for Solidarity with the People of Africa, Asia and Latin America (OSPAAAL) and Casa de las Americas Comisión de Orientación Revolucionaria.  

As the Artistic Director of the OSPAAAL unity, social change, and revolution was at the heart of Rostgaard’s work. Some of you may know him for his bold poster of Che Guevara or his monochrome poster of Angela Davis breaking freedom from shackles.

Alfredo Rostgaard, OSPAAAL poster (1969). Courtesy the Mike Stanfield Collection
Alfredo Rostgaard, OSPAAAL poster (1969). Courtesy the Mike Stanfield Collection
Alfredo Rostgaard, Angel Davis, OSPAAAL, 1971
Alfredo Rostgaard, Angel Davis, OSPAAAL, 1971

Ai Weiwei

Whether you know him for his moving documentary on the global refugee crisis, titled Human Flow, or his political outspoken nature; the acclaimed artist Ai Weiwei hardly needs an introduction. Ai Weiwei is a Chinese contemporary artist and activist who overtly states his disdain for political corruption within the Government. Many of his works explore themes of democracy, surveillance, censorship, and human rights.

In the 2013 Venice Biennale, Ai Weiwei showcased his six-part installation S.A.C.R.E.D, an evocative insight into his experience being incarcerated for 81 days in 2011. The six iron boxes allow viewers to see detailed sculptures heavily depicting surveillance scenes from the artist’s captivity.

Ai Weiwei, S.A.C.R.E.D. (2013), a six-part work composed of (i) S upper, (ii) A ccusers, (iii) C leansing, (iv) R itual, (v) E ntropy, (vi) Doubt. Courtesy of Lisson Gallery.
Ai Weiwei, S.A.C.R.E.D. (2013), a six-part work composed of (i) S upper, (ii) A ccusers, (iii) C leansing, (iv) R itual, (v) E ntropy, (vi) Doubt. Courtesy of Lisson Gallery.
Ai Weiwei, S.A.C.R.E.D. (2013), a six-part work composed of (i) S upper, (ii) A ccusers, (iii) C leansing, (iv) R itual, (v) E ntropy, (vi) Doubt. Courtesy of Lisson Gallery.
Ai Weiwei, S.A.C.R.E.D. (2013), a six-part work composed of (i) S upper, (ii) A ccusers, (iii) C leansing, (iv) R itual, (v) E ntropy, (vi) Doubt. Courtesy of Lisson Gallery.

Kara Walker

Kara Walker is a New York-based Black American contemporary painter, silhouettist, printmaker, installation artist, filmmaker, and professor best known for her investigation into race, gender, sexuality, and violence.

Kara Walker Fons Americanus Tate Modern 2019 (detail). Photo: © Tate (Matt Greenwood)
Kara Walker Fons Americanus Tate Modern 2019 (detail). Photo: © Tate (Matt Greenwood)

Her four-tier sculpture Fons Americanus was made for Tate Modern’s 2019 Hyundai commission and was?displayed in the Turbine Hall. This allegoric piece addresses the colonial power dynamics at play in the way we interact with historical public art dotted around England. Walker uses water as a theme to explore the history Africa, Europe and America share in the transatlantic slave trade and the horrific and grotesque treatment people faced. Each section of this giant sculpture is filled with intricated scenes showcasing what seems like continuous monstrous acts of violence, pain, and suffering. When seeing this piece in real life it is both sublime in its beauty and awe evoking, leaving you with mixed feelings of fear and wonder.

LEFT: Kara Walker, Shell Grotto, Fons Americanus (detail). Photo: © Tate (Matt Greenwood)                             
Kara Walker, Shell Grotto, Fons Americanus (detail). Photo: © Tate (Matt Greenwood)                            

Hope you feel inspired after reading about these amazing works of art!  

Chioma Ince
08/09/2021
Spotlight
Chioma Ince
A is for Art and Activism
Written by
Chioma Ince
Date Published
08/09/2021
Activism
Zanele Muholi
Alfredo Rostgaard
Tate Modern
Ai Weiwei
LGBTQ+ Art
This week, in Arts Community and Activism, we will be looking at contemporary creatives who unapologetically use their art to advocate for change, fight against injustice and support others through their work...

Zanele Muholi

Zanele Muholi is an acclaimed photographer and activist whose powerful and expansive collection of works has captured the attention of the art world on an international scale. They have sought to use their voice and art to advocate for equality and change: co-founding the Forum for Empowerment of Women (FEW) and founding the queer and visual activist platform, Inkanyiso. The South African visual activist has documented, fought for, and celebrated the lives of Black LGBTQIA+ communities for over 10 years. Their recent exhibition at Tate Modern in 2020-21 was an intimate and impactful window into the violence and prejudice the LGBTQIA+ community faces in South Africa.

Muholi’s photo series Only Half the Picture documents survivors of hate crimes living across South Africa and its townships. In their piece ‘Aftermath’ viewers are shown the scarring of a person who has been a victim to hate crime. This piece is telling of the many traumas people face and is captured in this gelatine silver print. There is something vulnerable, delicate, and sorrowful in the soft lighting and composition deployed by Muholi. They have framed the hesitant body language of the figure and drawn our attention to the marking of the scar and tender hands.

Zanele Muholi, Aftermath, From the series Only Half the Picture, Photograph, Tate © Zanele Muholi
Zanele Muholi, Aftermath, From the series Only Half the Picture, Photograph, Tate © Zanele Muholi
Zanele Muholi, ID Crisis, From the series Only Half the Picture, Photograph, Tate © Zanele Muholi
Zanele Muholi, ID Crisis, From the series Only Half the Picture, Photograph, Tate © Zanele Muholi

Alfredo Rostgaard

Alfredo Rostgaard was a Cuban graphic designer and artist known for his revolutionary Cuban film and political posters. He has worked with many Cuban agencies such as: the Instituto Cubano del Arte e Industria Cinematográficos (ICAIC), Organisation for Solidarity with the People of Africa, Asia and Latin America (OSPAAAL) and Casa de las Americas Comisión de Orientación Revolucionaria.  

As the Artistic Director of the OSPAAAL unity, social change, and revolution was at the heart of Rostgaard’s work. Some of you may know him for his bold poster of Che Guevara or his monochrome poster of Angela Davis breaking freedom from shackles.

Alfredo Rostgaard, OSPAAAL poster (1969). Courtesy the Mike Stanfield Collection
Alfredo Rostgaard, OSPAAAL poster (1969). Courtesy the Mike Stanfield Collection
Alfredo Rostgaard, Angel Davis, OSPAAAL, 1971
Alfredo Rostgaard, Angel Davis, OSPAAAL, 1971

Ai Weiwei

Whether you know him for his moving documentary on the global refugee crisis, titled Human Flow, or his political outspoken nature; the acclaimed artist Ai Weiwei hardly needs an introduction. Ai Weiwei is a Chinese contemporary artist and activist who overtly states his disdain for political corruption within the Government. Many of his works explore themes of democracy, surveillance, censorship, and human rights.

In the 2013 Venice Biennale, Ai Weiwei showcased his six-part installation S.A.C.R.E.D, an evocative insight into his experience being incarcerated for 81 days in 2011. The six iron boxes allow viewers to see detailed sculptures heavily depicting surveillance scenes from the artist’s captivity.

Ai Weiwei, S.A.C.R.E.D. (2013), a six-part work composed of (i) S upper, (ii) A ccusers, (iii) C leansing, (iv) R itual, (v) E ntropy, (vi) Doubt. Courtesy of Lisson Gallery.
Ai Weiwei, S.A.C.R.E.D. (2013), a six-part work composed of (i) S upper, (ii) A ccusers, (iii) C leansing, (iv) R itual, (v) E ntropy, (vi) Doubt. Courtesy of Lisson Gallery.
Ai Weiwei, S.A.C.R.E.D. (2013), a six-part work composed of (i) S upper, (ii) A ccusers, (iii) C leansing, (iv) R itual, (v) E ntropy, (vi) Doubt. Courtesy of Lisson Gallery.
Ai Weiwei, S.A.C.R.E.D. (2013), a six-part work composed of (i) S upper, (ii) A ccusers, (iii) C leansing, (iv) R itual, (v) E ntropy, (vi) Doubt. Courtesy of Lisson Gallery.

Kara Walker

Kara Walker is a New York-based Black American contemporary painter, silhouettist, printmaker, installation artist, filmmaker, and professor best known for her investigation into race, gender, sexuality, and violence.

Kara Walker Fons Americanus Tate Modern 2019 (detail). Photo: © Tate (Matt Greenwood)
Kara Walker Fons Americanus Tate Modern 2019 (detail). Photo: © Tate (Matt Greenwood)

Her four-tier sculpture Fons Americanus was made for Tate Modern’s 2019 Hyundai commission and was?displayed in the Turbine Hall. This allegoric piece addresses the colonial power dynamics at play in the way we interact with historical public art dotted around England. Walker uses water as a theme to explore the history Africa, Europe and America share in the transatlantic slave trade and the horrific and grotesque treatment people faced. Each section of this giant sculpture is filled with intricated scenes showcasing what seems like continuous monstrous acts of violence, pain, and suffering. When seeing this piece in real life it is both sublime in its beauty and awe evoking, leaving you with mixed feelings of fear and wonder.

LEFT: Kara Walker, Shell Grotto, Fons Americanus (detail). Photo: © Tate (Matt Greenwood)                             
Kara Walker, Shell Grotto, Fons Americanus (detail). Photo: © Tate (Matt Greenwood)                            

Hope you feel inspired after reading about these amazing works of art!  

Thanks for reading
Collect your 5 yamos below
REDEEM YAMOS
A is for Art and Activism
Spotlight
Chioma Ince
Written by
Chioma Ince
Date Published
08/09/2021
Activism
Zanele Muholi
Alfredo Rostgaard
Tate Modern
Ai Weiwei
LGBTQ+ Art
This week, in Arts Community and Activism, we will be looking at contemporary creatives who unapologetically use their art to advocate for change, fight against injustice and support others through their work...

Zanele Muholi

Zanele Muholi is an acclaimed photographer and activist whose powerful and expansive collection of works has captured the attention of the art world on an international scale. They have sought to use their voice and art to advocate for equality and change: co-founding the Forum for Empowerment of Women (FEW) and founding the queer and visual activist platform, Inkanyiso. The South African visual activist has documented, fought for, and celebrated the lives of Black LGBTQIA+ communities for over 10 years. Their recent exhibition at Tate Modern in 2020-21 was an intimate and impactful window into the violence and prejudice the LGBTQIA+ community faces in South Africa.

Muholi’s photo series Only Half the Picture documents survivors of hate crimes living across South Africa and its townships. In their piece ‘Aftermath’ viewers are shown the scarring of a person who has been a victim to hate crime. This piece is telling of the many traumas people face and is captured in this gelatine silver print. There is something vulnerable, delicate, and sorrowful in the soft lighting and composition deployed by Muholi. They have framed the hesitant body language of the figure and drawn our attention to the marking of the scar and tender hands.

Zanele Muholi, Aftermath, From the series Only Half the Picture, Photograph, Tate © Zanele Muholi
Zanele Muholi, Aftermath, From the series Only Half the Picture, Photograph, Tate © Zanele Muholi
Zanele Muholi, ID Crisis, From the series Only Half the Picture, Photograph, Tate © Zanele Muholi
Zanele Muholi, ID Crisis, From the series Only Half the Picture, Photograph, Tate © Zanele Muholi

Alfredo Rostgaard

Alfredo Rostgaard was a Cuban graphic designer and artist known for his revolutionary Cuban film and political posters. He has worked with many Cuban agencies such as: the Instituto Cubano del Arte e Industria Cinematográficos (ICAIC), Organisation for Solidarity with the People of Africa, Asia and Latin America (OSPAAAL) and Casa de las Americas Comisión de Orientación Revolucionaria.  

As the Artistic Director of the OSPAAAL unity, social change, and revolution was at the heart of Rostgaard’s work. Some of you may know him for his bold poster of Che Guevara or his monochrome poster of Angela Davis breaking freedom from shackles.

Alfredo Rostgaard, OSPAAAL poster (1969). Courtesy the Mike Stanfield Collection
Alfredo Rostgaard, OSPAAAL poster (1969). Courtesy the Mike Stanfield Collection
Alfredo Rostgaard, Angel Davis, OSPAAAL, 1971
Alfredo Rostgaard, Angel Davis, OSPAAAL, 1971

Ai Weiwei

Whether you know him for his moving documentary on the global refugee crisis, titled Human Flow, or his political outspoken nature; the acclaimed artist Ai Weiwei hardly needs an introduction. Ai Weiwei is a Chinese contemporary artist and activist who overtly states his disdain for political corruption within the Government. Many of his works explore themes of democracy, surveillance, censorship, and human rights.

In the 2013 Venice Biennale, Ai Weiwei showcased his six-part installation S.A.C.R.E.D, an evocative insight into his experience being incarcerated for 81 days in 2011. The six iron boxes allow viewers to see detailed sculptures heavily depicting surveillance scenes from the artist’s captivity.

Ai Weiwei, S.A.C.R.E.D. (2013), a six-part work composed of (i) S upper, (ii) A ccusers, (iii) C leansing, (iv) R itual, (v) E ntropy, (vi) Doubt. Courtesy of Lisson Gallery.
Ai Weiwei, S.A.C.R.E.D. (2013), a six-part work composed of (i) S upper, (ii) A ccusers, (iii) C leansing, (iv) R itual, (v) E ntropy, (vi) Doubt. Courtesy of Lisson Gallery.
Ai Weiwei, S.A.C.R.E.D. (2013), a six-part work composed of (i) S upper, (ii) A ccusers, (iii) C leansing, (iv) R itual, (v) E ntropy, (vi) Doubt. Courtesy of Lisson Gallery.
Ai Weiwei, S.A.C.R.E.D. (2013), a six-part work composed of (i) S upper, (ii) A ccusers, (iii) C leansing, (iv) R itual, (v) E ntropy, (vi) Doubt. Courtesy of Lisson Gallery.

Kara Walker

Kara Walker is a New York-based Black American contemporary painter, silhouettist, printmaker, installation artist, filmmaker, and professor best known for her investigation into race, gender, sexuality, and violence.

Kara Walker Fons Americanus Tate Modern 2019 (detail). Photo: © Tate (Matt Greenwood)
Kara Walker Fons Americanus Tate Modern 2019 (detail). Photo: © Tate (Matt Greenwood)

Her four-tier sculpture Fons Americanus was made for Tate Modern’s 2019 Hyundai commission and was?displayed in the Turbine Hall. This allegoric piece addresses the colonial power dynamics at play in the way we interact with historical public art dotted around England. Walker uses water as a theme to explore the history Africa, Europe and America share in the transatlantic slave trade and the horrific and grotesque treatment people faced. Each section of this giant sculpture is filled with intricated scenes showcasing what seems like continuous monstrous acts of violence, pain, and suffering. When seeing this piece in real life it is both sublime in its beauty and awe evoking, leaving you with mixed feelings of fear and wonder.

LEFT: Kara Walker, Shell Grotto, Fons Americanus (detail). Photo: © Tate (Matt Greenwood)                             
Kara Walker, Shell Grotto, Fons Americanus (detail). Photo: © Tate (Matt Greenwood)                            

Hope you feel inspired after reading about these amazing works of art!  

Thanks for reading
Collect your 5 yamos below
REDEEM YAMOS
08/09/2021
Spotlight
Chioma Ince
A is for Art and Activism
Written by
Chioma Ince
Date Published
08/09/2021
Activism
Zanele Muholi
Alfredo Rostgaard
Tate Modern
Ai Weiwei
LGBTQ+ Art
This week, in Arts Community and Activism, we will be looking at contemporary creatives who unapologetically use their art to advocate for change, fight against injustice and support others through their work...

Zanele Muholi

Zanele Muholi is an acclaimed photographer and activist whose powerful and expansive collection of works has captured the attention of the art world on an international scale. They have sought to use their voice and art to advocate for equality and change: co-founding the Forum for Empowerment of Women (FEW) and founding the queer and visual activist platform, Inkanyiso. The South African visual activist has documented, fought for, and celebrated the lives of Black LGBTQIA+ communities for over 10 years. Their recent exhibition at Tate Modern in 2020-21 was an intimate and impactful window into the violence and prejudice the LGBTQIA+ community faces in South Africa.

Muholi’s photo series Only Half the Picture documents survivors of hate crimes living across South Africa and its townships. In their piece ‘Aftermath’ viewers are shown the scarring of a person who has been a victim to hate crime. This piece is telling of the many traumas people face and is captured in this gelatine silver print. There is something vulnerable, delicate, and sorrowful in the soft lighting and composition deployed by Muholi. They have framed the hesitant body language of the figure and drawn our attention to the marking of the scar and tender hands.

Zanele Muholi, Aftermath, From the series Only Half the Picture, Photograph, Tate © Zanele Muholi
Zanele Muholi, Aftermath, From the series Only Half the Picture, Photograph, Tate © Zanele Muholi
Zanele Muholi, ID Crisis, From the series Only Half the Picture, Photograph, Tate © Zanele Muholi
Zanele Muholi, ID Crisis, From the series Only Half the Picture, Photograph, Tate © Zanele Muholi

Alfredo Rostgaard

Alfredo Rostgaard was a Cuban graphic designer and artist known for his revolutionary Cuban film and political posters. He has worked with many Cuban agencies such as: the Instituto Cubano del Arte e Industria Cinematográficos (ICAIC), Organisation for Solidarity with the People of Africa, Asia and Latin America (OSPAAAL) and Casa de las Americas Comisión de Orientación Revolucionaria.  

As the Artistic Director of the OSPAAAL unity, social change, and revolution was at the heart of Rostgaard’s work. Some of you may know him for his bold poster of Che Guevara or his monochrome poster of Angela Davis breaking freedom from shackles.

Alfredo Rostgaard, OSPAAAL poster (1969). Courtesy the Mike Stanfield Collection
Alfredo Rostgaard, OSPAAAL poster (1969). Courtesy the Mike Stanfield Collection
Alfredo Rostgaard, Angel Davis, OSPAAAL, 1971
Alfredo Rostgaard, Angel Davis, OSPAAAL, 1971

Ai Weiwei

Whether you know him for his moving documentary on the global refugee crisis, titled Human Flow, or his political outspoken nature; the acclaimed artist Ai Weiwei hardly needs an introduction. Ai Weiwei is a Chinese contemporary artist and activist who overtly states his disdain for political corruption within the Government. Many of his works explore themes of democracy, surveillance, censorship, and human rights.

In the 2013 Venice Biennale, Ai Weiwei showcased his six-part installation S.A.C.R.E.D, an evocative insight into his experience being incarcerated for 81 days in 2011. The six iron boxes allow viewers to see detailed sculptures heavily depicting surveillance scenes from the artist’s captivity.

Ai Weiwei, S.A.C.R.E.D. (2013), a six-part work composed of (i) S upper, (ii) A ccusers, (iii) C leansing, (iv) R itual, (v) E ntropy, (vi) Doubt. Courtesy of Lisson Gallery.
Ai Weiwei, S.A.C.R.E.D. (2013), a six-part work composed of (i) S upper, (ii) A ccusers, (iii) C leansing, (iv) R itual, (v) E ntropy, (vi) Doubt. Courtesy of Lisson Gallery.
Ai Weiwei, S.A.C.R.E.D. (2013), a six-part work composed of (i) S upper, (ii) A ccusers, (iii) C leansing, (iv) R itual, (v) E ntropy, (vi) Doubt. Courtesy of Lisson Gallery.
Ai Weiwei, S.A.C.R.E.D. (2013), a six-part work composed of (i) S upper, (ii) A ccusers, (iii) C leansing, (iv) R itual, (v) E ntropy, (vi) Doubt. Courtesy of Lisson Gallery.

Kara Walker

Kara Walker is a New York-based Black American contemporary painter, silhouettist, printmaker, installation artist, filmmaker, and professor best known for her investigation into race, gender, sexuality, and violence.

Kara Walker Fons Americanus Tate Modern 2019 (detail). Photo: © Tate (Matt Greenwood)
Kara Walker Fons Americanus Tate Modern 2019 (detail). Photo: © Tate (Matt Greenwood)

Her four-tier sculpture Fons Americanus was made for Tate Modern’s 2019 Hyundai commission and was?displayed in the Turbine Hall. This allegoric piece addresses the colonial power dynamics at play in the way we interact with historical public art dotted around England. Walker uses water as a theme to explore the history Africa, Europe and America share in the transatlantic slave trade and the horrific and grotesque treatment people faced. Each section of this giant sculpture is filled with intricated scenes showcasing what seems like continuous monstrous acts of violence, pain, and suffering. When seeing this piece in real life it is both sublime in its beauty and awe evoking, leaving you with mixed feelings of fear and wonder.

LEFT: Kara Walker, Shell Grotto, Fons Americanus (detail). Photo: © Tate (Matt Greenwood)                             
Kara Walker, Shell Grotto, Fons Americanus (detail). Photo: © Tate (Matt Greenwood)                            

Hope you feel inspired after reading about these amazing works of art!  

Thanks for reading
Collect your 5 yamos below
REDEEM YAMOS
08/09/2021
Spotlight
Chioma Ince
A is for Art and Activism
Written by
Chioma Ince
Date Published
08/09/2021
Activism
Zanele Muholi
Alfredo Rostgaard
Tate Modern
Ai Weiwei
LGBTQ+ Art
This week, in Arts Community and Activism, we will be looking at contemporary creatives who unapologetically use their art to advocate for change, fight against injustice and support others through their work...

Zanele Muholi

Zanele Muholi is an acclaimed photographer and activist whose powerful and expansive collection of works has captured the attention of the art world on an international scale. They have sought to use their voice and art to advocate for equality and change: co-founding the Forum for Empowerment of Women (FEW) and founding the queer and visual activist platform, Inkanyiso. The South African visual activist has documented, fought for, and celebrated the lives of Black LGBTQIA+ communities for over 10 years. Their recent exhibition at Tate Modern in 2020-21 was an intimate and impactful window into the violence and prejudice the LGBTQIA+ community faces in South Africa.

Muholi’s photo series Only Half the Picture documents survivors of hate crimes living across South Africa and its townships. In their piece ‘Aftermath’ viewers are shown the scarring of a person who has been a victim to hate crime. This piece is telling of the many traumas people face and is captured in this gelatine silver print. There is something vulnerable, delicate, and sorrowful in the soft lighting and composition deployed by Muholi. They have framed the hesitant body language of the figure and drawn our attention to the marking of the scar and tender hands.

Zanele Muholi, Aftermath, From the series Only Half the Picture, Photograph, Tate © Zanele Muholi
Zanele Muholi, Aftermath, From the series Only Half the Picture, Photograph, Tate © Zanele Muholi
Zanele Muholi, ID Crisis, From the series Only Half the Picture, Photograph, Tate © Zanele Muholi
Zanele Muholi, ID Crisis, From the series Only Half the Picture, Photograph, Tate © Zanele Muholi

Alfredo Rostgaard

Alfredo Rostgaard was a Cuban graphic designer and artist known for his revolutionary Cuban film and political posters. He has worked with many Cuban agencies such as: the Instituto Cubano del Arte e Industria Cinematográficos (ICAIC), Organisation for Solidarity with the People of Africa, Asia and Latin America (OSPAAAL) and Casa de las Americas Comisión de Orientación Revolucionaria.  

As the Artistic Director of the OSPAAAL unity, social change, and revolution was at the heart of Rostgaard’s work. Some of you may know him for his bold poster of Che Guevara or his monochrome poster of Angela Davis breaking freedom from shackles.

Alfredo Rostgaard, OSPAAAL poster (1969). Courtesy the Mike Stanfield Collection
Alfredo Rostgaard, OSPAAAL poster (1969). Courtesy the Mike Stanfield Collection
Alfredo Rostgaard, Angel Davis, OSPAAAL, 1971
Alfredo Rostgaard, Angel Davis, OSPAAAL, 1971

Ai Weiwei

Whether you know him for his moving documentary on the global refugee crisis, titled Human Flow, or his political outspoken nature; the acclaimed artist Ai Weiwei hardly needs an introduction. Ai Weiwei is a Chinese contemporary artist and activist who overtly states his disdain for political corruption within the Government. Many of his works explore themes of democracy, surveillance, censorship, and human rights.

In the 2013 Venice Biennale, Ai Weiwei showcased his six-part installation S.A.C.R.E.D, an evocative insight into his experience being incarcerated for 81 days in 2011. The six iron boxes allow viewers to see detailed sculptures heavily depicting surveillance scenes from the artist’s captivity.

Ai Weiwei, S.A.C.R.E.D. (2013), a six-part work composed of (i) S upper, (ii) A ccusers, (iii) C leansing, (iv) R itual, (v) E ntropy, (vi) Doubt. Courtesy of Lisson Gallery.
Ai Weiwei, S.A.C.R.E.D. (2013), a six-part work composed of (i) S upper, (ii) A ccusers, (iii) C leansing, (iv) R itual, (v) E ntropy, (vi) Doubt. Courtesy of Lisson Gallery.
Ai Weiwei, S.A.C.R.E.D. (2013), a six-part work composed of (i) S upper, (ii) A ccusers, (iii) C leansing, (iv) R itual, (v) E ntropy, (vi) Doubt. Courtesy of Lisson Gallery.
Ai Weiwei, S.A.C.R.E.D. (2013), a six-part work composed of (i) S upper, (ii) A ccusers, (iii) C leansing, (iv) R itual, (v) E ntropy, (vi) Doubt. Courtesy of Lisson Gallery.

Kara Walker

Kara Walker is a New York-based Black American contemporary painter, silhouettist, printmaker, installation artist, filmmaker, and professor best known for her investigation into race, gender, sexuality, and violence.

Kara Walker Fons Americanus Tate Modern 2019 (detail). Photo: © Tate (Matt Greenwood)
Kara Walker Fons Americanus Tate Modern 2019 (detail). Photo: © Tate (Matt Greenwood)

Her four-tier sculpture Fons Americanus was made for Tate Modern’s 2019 Hyundai commission and was?displayed in the Turbine Hall. This allegoric piece addresses the colonial power dynamics at play in the way we interact with historical public art dotted around England. Walker uses water as a theme to explore the history Africa, Europe and America share in the transatlantic slave trade and the horrific and grotesque treatment people faced. Each section of this giant sculpture is filled with intricated scenes showcasing what seems like continuous monstrous acts of violence, pain, and suffering. When seeing this piece in real life it is both sublime in its beauty and awe evoking, leaving you with mixed feelings of fear and wonder.

LEFT: Kara Walker, Shell Grotto, Fons Americanus (detail). Photo: © Tate (Matt Greenwood)                             
Kara Walker, Shell Grotto, Fons Americanus (detail). Photo: © Tate (Matt Greenwood)                            

Hope you feel inspired after reading about these amazing works of art!  

Thanks for reading
Collect your 5 yamos below
REDEEM YAMOS
08/09/2021
Spotlight
Chioma Ince
A is for Art and Activism
Written by
Chioma Ince
Date Published
08/09/2021
Activism
Zanele Muholi
Alfredo Rostgaard
Tate Modern
Ai Weiwei
LGBTQ+ Art
This week, in Arts Community and Activism, we will be looking at contemporary creatives who unapologetically use their art to advocate for change, fight against injustice and support others through their work...

Zanele Muholi

Zanele Muholi is an acclaimed photographer and activist whose powerful and expansive collection of works has captured the attention of the art world on an international scale. They have sought to use their voice and art to advocate for equality and change: co-founding the Forum for Empowerment of Women (FEW) and founding the queer and visual activist platform, Inkanyiso. The South African visual activist has documented, fought for, and celebrated the lives of Black LGBTQIA+ communities for over 10 years. Their recent exhibition at Tate Modern in 2020-21 was an intimate and impactful window into the violence and prejudice the LGBTQIA+ community faces in South Africa.

Muholi’s photo series Only Half the Picture documents survivors of hate crimes living across South Africa and its townships. In their piece ‘Aftermath’ viewers are shown the scarring of a person who has been a victim to hate crime. This piece is telling of the many traumas people face and is captured in this gelatine silver print. There is something vulnerable, delicate, and sorrowful in the soft lighting and composition deployed by Muholi. They have framed the hesitant body language of the figure and drawn our attention to the marking of the scar and tender hands.

Zanele Muholi, Aftermath, From the series Only Half the Picture, Photograph, Tate © Zanele Muholi
Zanele Muholi, Aftermath, From the series Only Half the Picture, Photograph, Tate © Zanele Muholi
Zanele Muholi, ID Crisis, From the series Only Half the Picture, Photograph, Tate © Zanele Muholi
Zanele Muholi, ID Crisis, From the series Only Half the Picture, Photograph, Tate © Zanele Muholi

Alfredo Rostgaard

Alfredo Rostgaard was a Cuban graphic designer and artist known for his revolutionary Cuban film and political posters. He has worked with many Cuban agencies such as: the Instituto Cubano del Arte e Industria Cinematográficos (ICAIC), Organisation for Solidarity with the People of Africa, Asia and Latin America (OSPAAAL) and Casa de las Americas Comisión de Orientación Revolucionaria.  

As the Artistic Director of the OSPAAAL unity, social change, and revolution was at the heart of Rostgaard’s work. Some of you may know him for his bold poster of Che Guevara or his monochrome poster of Angela Davis breaking freedom from shackles.

Alfredo Rostgaard, OSPAAAL poster (1969). Courtesy the Mike Stanfield Collection
Alfredo Rostgaard, OSPAAAL poster (1969). Courtesy the Mike Stanfield Collection
Alfredo Rostgaard, Angel Davis, OSPAAAL, 1971
Alfredo Rostgaard, Angel Davis, OSPAAAL, 1971

Ai Weiwei

Whether you know him for his moving documentary on the global refugee crisis, titled Human Flow, or his political outspoken nature; the acclaimed artist Ai Weiwei hardly needs an introduction. Ai Weiwei is a Chinese contemporary artist and activist who overtly states his disdain for political corruption within the Government. Many of his works explore themes of democracy, surveillance, censorship, and human rights.

In the 2013 Venice Biennale, Ai Weiwei showcased his six-part installation S.A.C.R.E.D, an evocative insight into his experience being incarcerated for 81 days in 2011. The six iron boxes allow viewers to see detailed sculptures heavily depicting surveillance scenes from the artist’s captivity.

Ai Weiwei, S.A.C.R.E.D. (2013), a six-part work composed of (i) S upper, (ii) A ccusers, (iii) C leansing, (iv) R itual, (v) E ntropy, (vi) Doubt. Courtesy of Lisson Gallery.
Ai Weiwei, S.A.C.R.E.D. (2013), a six-part work composed of (i) S upper, (ii) A ccusers, (iii) C leansing, (iv) R itual, (v) E ntropy, (vi) Doubt. Courtesy of Lisson Gallery.
Ai Weiwei, S.A.C.R.E.D. (2013), a six-part work composed of (i) S upper, (ii) A ccusers, (iii) C leansing, (iv) R itual, (v) E ntropy, (vi) Doubt. Courtesy of Lisson Gallery.
Ai Weiwei, S.A.C.R.E.D. (2013), a six-part work composed of (i) S upper, (ii) A ccusers, (iii) C leansing, (iv) R itual, (v) E ntropy, (vi) Doubt. Courtesy of Lisson Gallery.

Kara Walker

Kara Walker is a New York-based Black American contemporary painter, silhouettist, printmaker, installation artist, filmmaker, and professor best known for her investigation into race, gender, sexuality, and violence.

Kara Walker Fons Americanus Tate Modern 2019 (detail). Photo: © Tate (Matt Greenwood)
Kara Walker Fons Americanus Tate Modern 2019 (detail). Photo: © Tate (Matt Greenwood)

Her four-tier sculpture Fons Americanus was made for Tate Modern’s 2019 Hyundai commission and was?displayed in the Turbine Hall. This allegoric piece addresses the colonial power dynamics at play in the way we interact with historical public art dotted around England. Walker uses water as a theme to explore the history Africa, Europe and America share in the transatlantic slave trade and the horrific and grotesque treatment people faced. Each section of this giant sculpture is filled with intricated scenes showcasing what seems like continuous monstrous acts of violence, pain, and suffering. When seeing this piece in real life it is both sublime in its beauty and awe evoking, leaving you with mixed feelings of fear and wonder.

LEFT: Kara Walker, Shell Grotto, Fons Americanus (detail). Photo: © Tate (Matt Greenwood)                             
Kara Walker, Shell Grotto, Fons Americanus (detail). Photo: © Tate (Matt Greenwood)                            

Hope you feel inspired after reading about these amazing works of art!  

Thanks for reading
Collect your 5 yamos below
REDEEM YAMOS
Written by
Chioma Ince
Date Published
08/09/2021
Activism
Zanele Muholi
Alfredo Rostgaard
Tate Modern
Ai Weiwei
LGBTQ+ Art
08/09/2021
Spotlight
Chioma Ince
A is for Art and Activism

Zanele Muholi

Zanele Muholi is an acclaimed photographer and activist whose powerful and expansive collection of works has captured the attention of the art world on an international scale. They have sought to use their voice and art to advocate for equality and change: co-founding the Forum for Empowerment of Women (FEW) and founding the queer and visual activist platform, Inkanyiso. The South African visual activist has documented, fought for, and celebrated the lives of Black LGBTQIA+ communities for over 10 years. Their recent exhibition at Tate Modern in 2020-21 was an intimate and impactful window into the violence and prejudice the LGBTQIA+ community faces in South Africa.

Muholi’s photo series Only Half the Picture documents survivors of hate crimes living across South Africa and its townships. In their piece ‘Aftermath’ viewers are shown the scarring of a person who has been a victim to hate crime. This piece is telling of the many traumas people face and is captured in this gelatine silver print. There is something vulnerable, delicate, and sorrowful in the soft lighting and composition deployed by Muholi. They have framed the hesitant body language of the figure and drawn our attention to the marking of the scar and tender hands.

Zanele Muholi, Aftermath, From the series Only Half the Picture, Photograph, Tate © Zanele Muholi
Zanele Muholi, Aftermath, From the series Only Half the Picture, Photograph, Tate © Zanele Muholi
Zanele Muholi, ID Crisis, From the series Only Half the Picture, Photograph, Tate © Zanele Muholi
Zanele Muholi, ID Crisis, From the series Only Half the Picture, Photograph, Tate © Zanele Muholi

Alfredo Rostgaard

Alfredo Rostgaard was a Cuban graphic designer and artist known for his revolutionary Cuban film and political posters. He has worked with many Cuban agencies such as: the Instituto Cubano del Arte e Industria Cinematográficos (ICAIC), Organisation for Solidarity with the People of Africa, Asia and Latin America (OSPAAAL) and Casa de las Americas Comisión de Orientación Revolucionaria.  

As the Artistic Director of the OSPAAAL unity, social change, and revolution was at the heart of Rostgaard’s work. Some of you may know him for his bold poster of Che Guevara or his monochrome poster of Angela Davis breaking freedom from shackles.

Alfredo Rostgaard, OSPAAAL poster (1969). Courtesy the Mike Stanfield Collection
Alfredo Rostgaard, OSPAAAL poster (1969). Courtesy the Mike Stanfield Collection
Alfredo Rostgaard, Angel Davis, OSPAAAL, 1971
Alfredo Rostgaard, Angel Davis, OSPAAAL, 1971

Ai Weiwei

Whether you know him for his moving documentary on the global refugee crisis, titled Human Flow, or his political outspoken nature; the acclaimed artist Ai Weiwei hardly needs an introduction. Ai Weiwei is a Chinese contemporary artist and activist who overtly states his disdain for political corruption within the Government. Many of his works explore themes of democracy, surveillance, censorship, and human rights.

In the 2013 Venice Biennale, Ai Weiwei showcased his six-part installation S.A.C.R.E.D, an evocative insight into his experience being incarcerated for 81 days in 2011. The six iron boxes allow viewers to see detailed sculptures heavily depicting surveillance scenes from the artist’s captivity.

Ai Weiwei, S.A.C.R.E.D. (2013), a six-part work composed of (i) S upper, (ii) A ccusers, (iii) C leansing, (iv) R itual, (v) E ntropy, (vi) Doubt. Courtesy of Lisson Gallery.
Ai Weiwei, S.A.C.R.E.D. (2013), a six-part work composed of (i) S upper, (ii) A ccusers, (iii) C leansing, (iv) R itual, (v) E ntropy, (vi) Doubt. Courtesy of Lisson Gallery.
Ai Weiwei, S.A.C.R.E.D. (2013), a six-part work composed of (i) S upper, (ii) A ccusers, (iii) C leansing, (iv) R itual, (v) E ntropy, (vi) Doubt. Courtesy of Lisson Gallery.
Ai Weiwei, S.A.C.R.E.D. (2013), a six-part work composed of (i) S upper, (ii) A ccusers, (iii) C leansing, (iv) R itual, (v) E ntropy, (vi) Doubt. Courtesy of Lisson Gallery.

Kara Walker

Kara Walker is a New York-based Black American contemporary painter, silhouettist, printmaker, installation artist, filmmaker, and professor best known for her investigation into race, gender, sexuality, and violence.

Kara Walker Fons Americanus Tate Modern 2019 (detail). Photo: © Tate (Matt Greenwood)
Kara Walker Fons Americanus Tate Modern 2019 (detail). Photo: © Tate (Matt Greenwood)

Her four-tier sculpture Fons Americanus was made for Tate Modern’s 2019 Hyundai commission and was?displayed in the Turbine Hall. This allegoric piece addresses the colonial power dynamics at play in the way we interact with historical public art dotted around England. Walker uses water as a theme to explore the history Africa, Europe and America share in the transatlantic slave trade and the horrific and grotesque treatment people faced. Each section of this giant sculpture is filled with intricated scenes showcasing what seems like continuous monstrous acts of violence, pain, and suffering. When seeing this piece in real life it is both sublime in its beauty and awe evoking, leaving you with mixed feelings of fear and wonder.

LEFT: Kara Walker, Shell Grotto, Fons Americanus (detail). Photo: © Tate (Matt Greenwood)                             
Kara Walker, Shell Grotto, Fons Americanus (detail). Photo: © Tate (Matt Greenwood)                            

Hope you feel inspired after reading about these amazing works of art!  

Thanks for reading
Collect your 5 yamos below
REDEEM YAMOS
A is for Art and Activism
08/09/2021
Spotlight
Chioma Ince
Written by
Chioma Ince
Date Published
08/09/2021
Activism
Zanele Muholi
Alfredo Rostgaard
Tate Modern
Ai Weiwei
LGBTQ+ Art
This week, in Arts Community and Activism, we will be looking at contemporary creatives who unapologetically use their art to advocate for change, fight against injustice and support others through their work...

Zanele Muholi

Zanele Muholi is an acclaimed photographer and activist whose powerful and expansive collection of works has captured the attention of the art world on an international scale. They have sought to use their voice and art to advocate for equality and change: co-founding the Forum for Empowerment of Women (FEW) and founding the queer and visual activist platform, Inkanyiso. The South African visual activist has documented, fought for, and celebrated the lives of Black LGBTQIA+ communities for over 10 years. Their recent exhibition at Tate Modern in 2020-21 was an intimate and impactful window into the violence and prejudice the LGBTQIA+ community faces in South Africa.

Muholi’s photo series Only Half the Picture documents survivors of hate crimes living across South Africa and its townships. In their piece ‘Aftermath’ viewers are shown the scarring of a person who has been a victim to hate crime. This piece is telling of the many traumas people face and is captured in this gelatine silver print. There is something vulnerable, delicate, and sorrowful in the soft lighting and composition deployed by Muholi. They have framed the hesitant body language of the figure and drawn our attention to the marking of the scar and tender hands.

Zanele Muholi, Aftermath, From the series Only Half the Picture, Photograph, Tate © Zanele Muholi
Zanele Muholi, Aftermath, From the series Only Half the Picture, Photograph, Tate © Zanele Muholi
Zanele Muholi, ID Crisis, From the series Only Half the Picture, Photograph, Tate © Zanele Muholi
Zanele Muholi, ID Crisis, From the series Only Half the Picture, Photograph, Tate © Zanele Muholi

Alfredo Rostgaard

Alfredo Rostgaard was a Cuban graphic designer and artist known for his revolutionary Cuban film and political posters. He has worked with many Cuban agencies such as: the Instituto Cubano del Arte e Industria Cinematográficos (ICAIC), Organisation for Solidarity with the People of Africa, Asia and Latin America (OSPAAAL) and Casa de las Americas Comisión de Orientación Revolucionaria.  

As the Artistic Director of the OSPAAAL unity, social change, and revolution was at the heart of Rostgaard’s work. Some of you may know him for his bold poster of Che Guevara or his monochrome poster of Angela Davis breaking freedom from shackles.

Alfredo Rostgaard, OSPAAAL poster (1969). Courtesy the Mike Stanfield Collection
Alfredo Rostgaard, OSPAAAL poster (1969). Courtesy the Mike Stanfield Collection
Alfredo Rostgaard, Angel Davis, OSPAAAL, 1971
Alfredo Rostgaard, Angel Davis, OSPAAAL, 1971

Ai Weiwei

Whether you know him for his moving documentary on the global refugee crisis, titled Human Flow, or his political outspoken nature; the acclaimed artist Ai Weiwei hardly needs an introduction. Ai Weiwei is a Chinese contemporary artist and activist who overtly states his disdain for political corruption within the Government. Many of his works explore themes of democracy, surveillance, censorship, and human rights.

In the 2013 Venice Biennale, Ai Weiwei showcased his six-part installation S.A.C.R.E.D, an evocative insight into his experience being incarcerated for 81 days in 2011. The six iron boxes allow viewers to see detailed sculptures heavily depicting surveillance scenes from the artist’s captivity.

Ai Weiwei, S.A.C.R.E.D. (2013), a six-part work composed of (i) S upper, (ii) A ccusers, (iii) C leansing, (iv) R itual, (v) E ntropy, (vi) Doubt. Courtesy of Lisson Gallery.
Ai Weiwei, S.A.C.R.E.D. (2013), a six-part work composed of (i) S upper, (ii) A ccusers, (iii) C leansing, (iv) R itual, (v) E ntropy, (vi) Doubt. Courtesy of Lisson Gallery.
Ai Weiwei, S.A.C.R.E.D. (2013), a six-part work composed of (i) S upper, (ii) A ccusers, (iii) C leansing, (iv) R itual, (v) E ntropy, (vi) Doubt. Courtesy of Lisson Gallery.
Ai Weiwei, S.A.C.R.E.D. (2013), a six-part work composed of (i) S upper, (ii) A ccusers, (iii) C leansing, (iv) R itual, (v) E ntropy, (vi) Doubt. Courtesy of Lisson Gallery.

Kara Walker

Kara Walker is a New York-based Black American contemporary painter, silhouettist, printmaker, installation artist, filmmaker, and professor best known for her investigation into race, gender, sexuality, and violence.

Kara Walker Fons Americanus Tate Modern 2019 (detail). Photo: © Tate (Matt Greenwood)
Kara Walker Fons Americanus Tate Modern 2019 (detail). Photo: © Tate (Matt Greenwood)

Her four-tier sculpture Fons Americanus was made for Tate Modern’s 2019 Hyundai commission and was?displayed in the Turbine Hall. This allegoric piece addresses the colonial power dynamics at play in the way we interact with historical public art dotted around England. Walker uses water as a theme to explore the history Africa, Europe and America share in the transatlantic slave trade and the horrific and grotesque treatment people faced. Each section of this giant sculpture is filled with intricated scenes showcasing what seems like continuous monstrous acts of violence, pain, and suffering. When seeing this piece in real life it is both sublime in its beauty and awe evoking, leaving you with mixed feelings of fear and wonder.

LEFT: Kara Walker, Shell Grotto, Fons Americanus (detail). Photo: © Tate (Matt Greenwood)                             
Kara Walker, Shell Grotto, Fons Americanus (detail). Photo: © Tate (Matt Greenwood)                            

Hope you feel inspired after reading about these amazing works of art!  

Thanks for reading
Collect your 5 yamos below
REDEEM YAMOS
A is for Art and Activism
Written by
Chioma Ince
Date Published
08/09/2021
This week, in Arts Community and Activism, we will be looking at contemporary creatives who unapologetically use their art to advocate for change, fight against injustice and support others through their work...
08/09/2021
Spotlight
Chioma Ince

Zanele Muholi

Zanele Muholi is an acclaimed photographer and activist whose powerful and expansive collection of works has captured the attention of the art world on an international scale. They have sought to use their voice and art to advocate for equality and change: co-founding the Forum for Empowerment of Women (FEW) and founding the queer and visual activist platform, Inkanyiso. The South African visual activist has documented, fought for, and celebrated the lives of Black LGBTQIA+ communities for over 10 years. Their recent exhibition at Tate Modern in 2020-21 was an intimate and impactful window into the violence and prejudice the LGBTQIA+ community faces in South Africa.

Muholi’s photo series Only Half the Picture documents survivors of hate crimes living across South Africa and its townships. In their piece ‘Aftermath’ viewers are shown the scarring of a person who has been a victim to hate crime. This piece is telling of the many traumas people face and is captured in this gelatine silver print. There is something vulnerable, delicate, and sorrowful in the soft lighting and composition deployed by Muholi. They have framed the hesitant body language of the figure and drawn our attention to the marking of the scar and tender hands.

Zanele Muholi, Aftermath, From the series Only Half the Picture, Photograph, Tate © Zanele Muholi
Zanele Muholi, Aftermath, From the series Only Half the Picture, Photograph, Tate © Zanele Muholi
Zanele Muholi, ID Crisis, From the series Only Half the Picture, Photograph, Tate © Zanele Muholi
Zanele Muholi, ID Crisis, From the series Only Half the Picture, Photograph, Tate © Zanele Muholi

Alfredo Rostgaard

Alfredo Rostgaard was a Cuban graphic designer and artist known for his revolutionary Cuban film and political posters. He has worked with many Cuban agencies such as: the Instituto Cubano del Arte e Industria Cinematográficos (ICAIC), Organisation for Solidarity with the People of Africa, Asia and Latin America (OSPAAAL) and Casa de las Americas Comisión de Orientación Revolucionaria.  

As the Artistic Director of the OSPAAAL unity, social change, and revolution was at the heart of Rostgaard’s work. Some of you may know him for his bold poster of Che Guevara or his monochrome poster of Angela Davis breaking freedom from shackles.

Alfredo Rostgaard, OSPAAAL poster (1969). Courtesy the Mike Stanfield Collection
Alfredo Rostgaard, OSPAAAL poster (1969). Courtesy the Mike Stanfield Collection
Alfredo Rostgaard, Angel Davis, OSPAAAL, 1971
Alfredo Rostgaard, Angel Davis, OSPAAAL, 1971

Ai Weiwei

Whether you know him for his moving documentary on the global refugee crisis, titled Human Flow, or his political outspoken nature; the acclaimed artist Ai Weiwei hardly needs an introduction. Ai Weiwei is a Chinese contemporary artist and activist who overtly states his disdain for political corruption within the Government. Many of his works explore themes of democracy, surveillance, censorship, and human rights.

In the 2013 Venice Biennale, Ai Weiwei showcased his six-part installation S.A.C.R.E.D, an evocative insight into his experience being incarcerated for 81 days in 2011. The six iron boxes allow viewers to see detailed sculptures heavily depicting surveillance scenes from the artist’s captivity.

Ai Weiwei, S.A.C.R.E.D. (2013), a six-part work composed of (i) S upper, (ii) A ccusers, (iii) C leansing, (iv) R itual, (v) E ntropy, (vi) Doubt. Courtesy of Lisson Gallery.
Ai Weiwei, S.A.C.R.E.D. (2013), a six-part work composed of (i) S upper, (ii) A ccusers, (iii) C leansing, (iv) R itual, (v) E ntropy, (vi) Doubt. Courtesy of Lisson Gallery.
Ai Weiwei, S.A.C.R.E.D. (2013), a six-part work composed of (i) S upper, (ii) A ccusers, (iii) C leansing, (iv) R itual, (v) E ntropy, (vi) Doubt. Courtesy of Lisson Gallery.
Ai Weiwei, S.A.C.R.E.D. (2013), a six-part work composed of (i) S upper, (ii) A ccusers, (iii) C leansing, (iv) R itual, (v) E ntropy, (vi) Doubt. Courtesy of Lisson Gallery.

Kara Walker

Kara Walker is a New York-based Black American contemporary painter, silhouettist, printmaker, installation artist, filmmaker, and professor best known for her investigation into race, gender, sexuality, and violence.

Kara Walker Fons Americanus Tate Modern 2019 (detail). Photo: © Tate (Matt Greenwood)
Kara Walker Fons Americanus Tate Modern 2019 (detail). Photo: © Tate (Matt Greenwood)

Her four-tier sculpture Fons Americanus was made for Tate Modern’s 2019 Hyundai commission and was?displayed in the Turbine Hall. This allegoric piece addresses the colonial power dynamics at play in the way we interact with historical public art dotted around England. Walker uses water as a theme to explore the history Africa, Europe and America share in the transatlantic slave trade and the horrific and grotesque treatment people faced. Each section of this giant sculpture is filled with intricated scenes showcasing what seems like continuous monstrous acts of violence, pain, and suffering. When seeing this piece in real life it is both sublime in its beauty and awe evoking, leaving you with mixed feelings of fear and wonder.

LEFT: Kara Walker, Shell Grotto, Fons Americanus (detail). Photo: © Tate (Matt Greenwood)                             
Kara Walker, Shell Grotto, Fons Americanus (detail). Photo: © Tate (Matt Greenwood)                            

Hope you feel inspired after reading about these amazing works of art!  

Thanks for reading
Collect your 5 yamos below
REDEEM YAMOS
A is for Art and Activism
Written by
Chioma Ince
Date Published
08/09/2021
Activism
Zanele Muholi
Alfredo Rostgaard
Tate Modern
Ai Weiwei
LGBTQ+ Art
08/09/2021
Spotlight
Chioma Ince
This week, in Arts Community and Activism, we will be looking at contemporary creatives who unapologetically use their art to advocate for change, fight against injustice and support others through their work...

Zanele Muholi

Zanele Muholi is an acclaimed photographer and activist whose powerful and expansive collection of works has captured the attention of the art world on an international scale. They have sought to use their voice and art to advocate for equality and change: co-founding the Forum for Empowerment of Women (FEW) and founding the queer and visual activist platform, Inkanyiso. The South African visual activist has documented, fought for, and celebrated the lives of Black LGBTQIA+ communities for over 10 years. Their recent exhibition at Tate Modern in 2020-21 was an intimate and impactful window into the violence and prejudice the LGBTQIA+ community faces in South Africa.

Muholi’s photo series Only Half the Picture documents survivors of hate crimes living across South Africa and its townships. In their piece ‘Aftermath’ viewers are shown the scarring of a person who has been a victim to hate crime. This piece is telling of the many traumas people face and is captured in this gelatine silver print. There is something vulnerable, delicate, and sorrowful in the soft lighting and composition deployed by Muholi. They have framed the hesitant body language of the figure and drawn our attention to the marking of the scar and tender hands.

Zanele Muholi, Aftermath, From the series Only Half the Picture, Photograph, Tate © Zanele Muholi
Zanele Muholi, Aftermath, From the series Only Half the Picture, Photograph, Tate © Zanele Muholi
Zanele Muholi, ID Crisis, From the series Only Half the Picture, Photograph, Tate © Zanele Muholi
Zanele Muholi, ID Crisis, From the series Only Half the Picture, Photograph, Tate © Zanele Muholi

Alfredo Rostgaard

Alfredo Rostgaard was a Cuban graphic designer and artist known for his revolutionary Cuban film and political posters. He has worked with many Cuban agencies such as: the Instituto Cubano del Arte e Industria Cinematográficos (ICAIC), Organisation for Solidarity with the People of Africa, Asia and Latin America (OSPAAAL) and Casa de las Americas Comisión de Orientación Revolucionaria.  

As the Artistic Director of the OSPAAAL unity, social change, and revolution was at the heart of Rostgaard’s work. Some of you may know him for his bold poster of Che Guevara or his monochrome poster of Angela Davis breaking freedom from shackles.

Alfredo Rostgaard, OSPAAAL poster (1969). Courtesy the Mike Stanfield Collection
Alfredo Rostgaard, OSPAAAL poster (1969). Courtesy the Mike Stanfield Collection
Alfredo Rostgaard, Angel Davis, OSPAAAL, 1971
Alfredo Rostgaard, Angel Davis, OSPAAAL, 1971

Ai Weiwei

Whether you know him for his moving documentary on the global refugee crisis, titled Human Flow, or his political outspoken nature; the acclaimed artist Ai Weiwei hardly needs an introduction. Ai Weiwei is a Chinese contemporary artist and activist who overtly states his disdain for political corruption within the Government. Many of his works explore themes of democracy, surveillance, censorship, and human rights.

In the 2013 Venice Biennale, Ai Weiwei showcased his six-part installation S.A.C.R.E.D, an evocative insight into his experience being incarcerated for 81 days in 2011. The six iron boxes allow viewers to see detailed sculptures heavily depicting surveillance scenes from the artist’s captivity.

Ai Weiwei, S.A.C.R.E.D. (2013), a six-part work composed of (i) S upper, (ii) A ccusers, (iii) C leansing, (iv) R itual, (v) E ntropy, (vi) Doubt. Courtesy of Lisson Gallery.
Ai Weiwei, S.A.C.R.E.D. (2013), a six-part work composed of (i) S upper, (ii) A ccusers, (iii) C leansing, (iv) R itual, (v) E ntropy, (vi) Doubt. Courtesy of Lisson Gallery.
Ai Weiwei, S.A.C.R.E.D. (2013), a six-part work composed of (i) S upper, (ii) A ccusers, (iii) C leansing, (iv) R itual, (v) E ntropy, (vi) Doubt. Courtesy of Lisson Gallery.
Ai Weiwei, S.A.C.R.E.D. (2013), a six-part work composed of (i) S upper, (ii) A ccusers, (iii) C leansing, (iv) R itual, (v) E ntropy, (vi) Doubt. Courtesy of Lisson Gallery.

Kara Walker

Kara Walker is a New York-based Black American contemporary painter, silhouettist, printmaker, installation artist, filmmaker, and professor best known for her investigation into race, gender, sexuality, and violence.

Kara Walker Fons Americanus Tate Modern 2019 (detail). Photo: © Tate (Matt Greenwood)
Kara Walker Fons Americanus Tate Modern 2019 (detail). Photo: © Tate (Matt Greenwood)

Her four-tier sculpture Fons Americanus was made for Tate Modern’s 2019 Hyundai commission and was?displayed in the Turbine Hall. This allegoric piece addresses the colonial power dynamics at play in the way we interact with historical public art dotted around England. Walker uses water as a theme to explore the history Africa, Europe and America share in the transatlantic slave trade and the horrific and grotesque treatment people faced. Each section of this giant sculpture is filled with intricated scenes showcasing what seems like continuous monstrous acts of violence, pain, and suffering. When seeing this piece in real life it is both sublime in its beauty and awe evoking, leaving you with mixed feelings of fear and wonder.

LEFT: Kara Walker, Shell Grotto, Fons Americanus (detail). Photo: © Tate (Matt Greenwood)                             
Kara Walker, Shell Grotto, Fons Americanus (detail). Photo: © Tate (Matt Greenwood)                            

Hope you feel inspired after reading about these amazing works of art!  

Thanks for reading
Collect your 5 yamos below
REDEEM YAMOS
08/09/2021
Spotlight
Chioma Ince
A is for Art and Activism
This week, in Arts Community and Activism, we will be looking at contemporary creatives who unapologetically use their art to advocate for change, fight against injustice and support others through their work...

Zanele Muholi

Zanele Muholi is an acclaimed photographer and activist whose powerful and expansive collection of works has captured the attention of the art world on an international scale. They have sought to use their voice and art to advocate for equality and change: co-founding the Forum for Empowerment of Women (FEW) and founding the queer and visual activist platform, Inkanyiso. The South African visual activist has documented, fought for, and celebrated the lives of Black LGBTQIA+ communities for over 10 years. Their recent exhibition at Tate Modern in 2020-21 was an intimate and impactful window into the violence and prejudice the LGBTQIA+ community faces in South Africa.

Muholi’s photo series Only Half the Picture documents survivors of hate crimes living across South Africa and its townships. In their piece ‘Aftermath’ viewers are shown the scarring of a person who has been a victim to hate crime. This piece is telling of the many traumas people face and is captured in this gelatine silver print. There is something vulnerable, delicate, and sorrowful in the soft lighting and composition deployed by Muholi. They have framed the hesitant body language of the figure and drawn our attention to the marking of the scar and tender hands.

Zanele Muholi, Aftermath, From the series Only Half the Picture, Photograph, Tate © Zanele Muholi
Zanele Muholi, Aftermath, From the series Only Half the Picture, Photograph, Tate © Zanele Muholi
Zanele Muholi, ID Crisis, From the series Only Half the Picture, Photograph, Tate © Zanele Muholi
Zanele Muholi, ID Crisis, From the series Only Half the Picture, Photograph, Tate © Zanele Muholi

Alfredo Rostgaard

Alfredo Rostgaard was a Cuban graphic designer and artist known for his revolutionary Cuban film and political posters. He has worked with many Cuban agencies such as: the Instituto Cubano del Arte e Industria Cinematográficos (ICAIC), Organisation for Solidarity with the People of Africa, Asia and Latin America (OSPAAAL) and Casa de las Americas Comisión de Orientación Revolucionaria.  

As the Artistic Director of the OSPAAAL unity, social change, and revolution was at the heart of Rostgaard’s work. Some of you may know him for his bold poster of Che Guevara or his monochrome poster of Angela Davis breaking freedom from shackles.

Alfredo Rostgaard, OSPAAAL poster (1969). Courtesy the Mike Stanfield Collection
Alfredo Rostgaard, OSPAAAL poster (1969). Courtesy the Mike Stanfield Collection
Alfredo Rostgaard, Angel Davis, OSPAAAL, 1971
Alfredo Rostgaard, Angel Davis, OSPAAAL, 1971

Ai Weiwei

Whether you know him for his moving documentary on the global refugee crisis, titled Human Flow, or his political outspoken nature; the acclaimed artist Ai Weiwei hardly needs an introduction. Ai Weiwei is a Chinese contemporary artist and activist who overtly states his disdain for political corruption within the Government. Many of his works explore themes of democracy, surveillance, censorship, and human rights.

In the 2013 Venice Biennale, Ai Weiwei showcased his six-part installation S.A.C.R.E.D, an evocative insight into his experience being incarcerated for 81 days in 2011. The six iron boxes allow viewers to see detailed sculptures heavily depicting surveillance scenes from the artist’s captivity.

Ai Weiwei, S.A.C.R.E.D. (2013), a six-part work composed of (i) S upper, (ii) A ccusers, (iii) C leansing, (iv) R itual, (v) E ntropy, (vi) Doubt. Courtesy of Lisson Gallery.
Ai Weiwei, S.A.C.R.E.D. (2013), a six-part work composed of (i) S upper, (ii) A ccusers, (iii) C leansing, (iv) R itual, (v) E ntropy, (vi) Doubt. Courtesy of Lisson Gallery.
Ai Weiwei, S.A.C.R.E.D. (2013), a six-part work composed of (i) S upper, (ii) A ccusers, (iii) C leansing, (iv) R itual, (v) E ntropy, (vi) Doubt. Courtesy of Lisson Gallery.
Ai Weiwei, S.A.C.R.E.D. (2013), a six-part work composed of (i) S upper, (ii) A ccusers, (iii) C leansing, (iv) R itual, (v) E ntropy, (vi) Doubt. Courtesy of Lisson Gallery.

Kara Walker

Kara Walker is a New York-based Black American contemporary painter, silhouettist, printmaker, installation artist, filmmaker, and professor best known for her investigation into race, gender, sexuality, and violence.

Kara Walker Fons Americanus Tate Modern 2019 (detail). Photo: © Tate (Matt Greenwood)
Kara Walker Fons Americanus Tate Modern 2019 (detail). Photo: © Tate (Matt Greenwood)

Her four-tier sculpture Fons Americanus was made for Tate Modern’s 2019 Hyundai commission and was?displayed in the Turbine Hall. This allegoric piece addresses the colonial power dynamics at play in the way we interact with historical public art dotted around England. Walker uses water as a theme to explore the history Africa, Europe and America share in the transatlantic slave trade and the horrific and grotesque treatment people faced. Each section of this giant sculpture is filled with intricated scenes showcasing what seems like continuous monstrous acts of violence, pain, and suffering. When seeing this piece in real life it is both sublime in its beauty and awe evoking, leaving you with mixed feelings of fear and wonder.

LEFT: Kara Walker, Shell Grotto, Fons Americanus (detail). Photo: © Tate (Matt Greenwood)                             
Kara Walker, Shell Grotto, Fons Americanus (detail). Photo: © Tate (Matt Greenwood)                            

Hope you feel inspired after reading about these amazing works of art!  

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