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Institute of International Visual Arts issues 'Progress Reports' on Cultural Diversity

02/01/2010


"Is the era and the goal of ‘cultural diversity’ in the arts now over?" asks this bold multi-voiced exhibition at Iniva, the East London bastion of international visual arts. Open till 13 March 2010.

a breakdancer spinning in a competition, surrounded by an audience
A still from video of the Battle of the Boroughs breakdance competition. Bronx Community College 2000. Copyright Sanford Biggers. One of the works selected by Sally Lai, director of the Chinese Arts Centre, Manchester.

A lot has changed in the 15 years since INIVA was established. Back when it first opened most references to cultural diversity were tacitly understood as meaning British Afro-Caribbean and British Asian artists. But with the rapid globalisation and emergence of London as a ‘superdiverse’ city state that has all changed.

A man dressed as a mammy with a white headscarf and an exaggerated facial expression

A still from 'Being Mammy, (Mammy's Looks)' 2004. copyright artist, Harold Offeh

In this new exhibition, 16 artists show work which explores interpretations of ‘cultural diversity’. As the head of INIVA writes in her introduction, “By the late 1980s cultural policy was turning towards greater inclusivity and participation. Artists were enabled to interrogate their own cultural identities, and Iniva along with others, worked hard ‘to help diversify the mainstream institutions, give visibility and critical attention to and support the work of (such) artists …and to challenge the ‘monocultural’ conception of British art and culture’ (Stuart Hall). So over 15 years later where are we?”

In the first event of a rich programme, a panel discussion: ‘Super Diversity - Who Participates Now?’, Naseem Khan OBE spoke of the shift from an old cultural order. Once, there was a certain solidarity born out of the values of the anti-racist movement of the 1970s and 1980s, now policy-makers and curators are faced with an, at times exciting, at times bewildering, globalised London art world. In this new world, individual artists from all over the world speak different aesthetic and political languages.

Oreet Ashery and Larissa Sansour 'Nonel and Vovel’s Inferno' Detail from triptych, 2009, © the artists

an illustration of two women sitting under a tree, in the style of a graphic novel

Highlights of the related programme include The Inivators (Iniva's youth advisory board) teaming up with artist Yara El-Sherbini for a series of playful interventions responding to the exhibition theme. They stage a court of law with the art sector on trial; invite you to a special edition of Question TIme and recreate board game 'Guess Who?' with a twist.

As for the exhibition itself, it's well worth starting at the top floor with No Heroes, a sexy film programme selected by filmaker, Campbell, which subverts dominant images from Hollywood and Bollywood.

Of the artwork, the huge tryptych Nonel and Vovel's Inferno is the most arresting. These are pages from a highly original graphic novel by artists Oreet Ashery and Larissa Sansour, in which they play with representations of themsleves as artists and their superhero alter egos.

I was left wondering though about the relationship between the rest of the art works. They supposedly 'reflect .... changes to the social and cultural landscape since Iniva was founded 15 years ago.' But it looked alot like young international artists being grouped together arbitrarily due to a slight shared interest in identity, marginalised communities and hybridity. As one of the events asks, does 'New Internationalism' still hold water as a concept? Make up your own mind at this fascinating and important show about race and contemporary art.

Featured Venue

Iniva at Rivington Place

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