When everything was needed, we are everything. This is an exhibition that demands your spectatorship!

 The New Black Vanguard titled after the book of the same name curated by American writer and critic Antwaun Sargent is a group photography show that declines the performatively whole. This photography presentation includes 15 established photographers, some of whom are new to the institutional guises, some who originate their authorship as digital natives, and some who grew up as their resident hometown documentarians. The once analogue is now evaluated as democratised through the digital. This democratising of access pervades every edge and corner of the exhibition. Saatchi’s white walls have been broken up with as the rooms open to landscapes of black portraiture – light emits from new background walls of fuchsia pink, scarlet red, and midnight blue. No compression, only brilliant saturation permeates – we, the viewer implicated in the eye, of a relationship where the artist and subject are in conversation and dynamic exchange. Photography is deliberate and purposeful as their chosen medium of expression, the works are raised by their image, – there are no false pedestals on display here, instead present are the multiplicities of blackness and a rich diaspora of cultural identities.

The New Black Vanguard brings an unclenching chasm to the homogenous depictions of blackness and the black body. Image by image forging a monolithic global network between these artist & fashion photographers and their gloried portraits of Black creatives from all sides of the lens and the world, touring London, Lagos, and New York. The camera is held as a documentarian in total symbiotic reverence by the artist, showcasing vanguards of power, representation, and revolution, – in all its many wrappings.

In wrappings of the fluid, Daniel Obasi, for instance in Moments of Youth, is held as the artist’s own, as the futurists’ own, as the subject’s own, as these four men at the helm of a seemingly traveling boat’s own – it is irrevocable. This visual activism is what we hold to the vulnerabilities of these instructional, and institutional infrastructures. These interrelationships of companionship and community in commonality take the front stage instead.

An exhibition highlight to move to is the moving-image projection room featuring a reel of 10 of the photographer’s videos which only builds on the visual language and further livens the photography of the preceding rooms. Like Kenny Germe’ of the New Gazes [ – one of 53 artists – an extension of the New Black Vanguard], their portrait The God Father takes to sun peeking to spotlight – to illuminate the once draped – it’s a full circle moment.

I am hopeful, growing from New Gazes, that the New Black Vanguard is not a singular project but rather a new norm, – is a powerful standard for future iterations. These are not new gazes but the significance of more access to the medium, as a platform to expand, where sensitivity has emerged in wanting to be seen. This show endeavours to be marked as a cry for access, for a systematic value change. A small legacy to hold against the white western hegemonic frameworks of photographic practice. This exhibition is a new precedent for the movement of agency, humanity, and the ignition of different consciousness and changed perspectives: as re-born rhetoric, one of more critique and more intention. When everything was needed, we are everything.

Review by Devika Pararasasinghe

Devika is currently living and working in London, by trade an artist and snake oil salesperson. Devika graduated, as of September with a research MFA at Ruskin School of Art, University of Oxford.

Image: Campbell Addy, Adut Akech, 2019, from The New Black Vanguard (Aperture, 2019). © Campbell Addy

Footnote:

The New Black Vanguard: Photography between Art and Fashion, is a groundbreaking exhibition featuring 15 international Black photographers contributing to a new vision of the Black figure and reframing representation in art and fashion. This exhibition is a celebration of Black creativity both in-front of and behind the camera. Featured works include Black stylists, models, make-up artists and creative directors who are bringing a radically new set of references and experiences to image making. The New Black Vanguard is curated by American writer and critic Antwaun Sargent who explores a new aesthetic of Black portraiture while examining the cross-pollination between art, fashion, and culture in the making of images. Sargent adds, “This exhibition is an exploration of this generation’s Black image makers who are bringing fresh perspective to photography. Image by image, they have created a loose global network around their art that powerfully centres identity, community and desire. The artists in this show profoundly reanimate the possibilities of contemporary photography.”

Featured Photographers:
Campbell Addy, Arielle Bobb-Willis, Micaiah Carter, Awol Erizku, Nadine Ijewere, Quil Lemons, Namsa Leuba, Renell Medrano, Tyler Mitchell, Jamal Nxedlana, Daniel Obasi, Ruth Ossai, Adrienne Raquel, Dana Scruggs, Stephen Tayo

Exhibition Supporter:

The New Black Vanguard at Saatchi Gallery is generously supported by Burberry

Organisation:
The New Black Vanguard is organised by Aperture, New York, and is made possible, in part, by Tasweer Photo Festival, Qatar and Airbnb Magazine

New Gazes, more work to be seen by:

AB+DM (Ahmad Barber and Donté Maurice), Djeneba Aduayom, Lawrence Agyei, Rasharn Agyemang, Araba Ankuma, Bafic, Daveed Baptiste, Malick Bodian, Kennedi Carter, Jorian Charlton, Christian Cody, Faith Couch, Delphine Diallo, Rhea Dillon, Philip-Daniel Ducasse, Christina Ebenezer, Yagazie Emezi, Justin French, Alexandre Gaudin, Erica Génécé, Kenny Germé, Denzel Golatt, Yannis Davy Guibinga, Travis Gumbs, Tyrell Hampton, Seye Isikalu, Adama Jalloh, Manny Jefferson, Kreshonna Keane, Ekua King, Joshua Kissi, Casper Kofi, Olivia Lifungula, Myles Loftin, Mahaneela, Ronan Mckenzie, Tyra Mitchell, Fabien Montique, Sierra Nallo, Manuel Obadia-Wills, Travys Owen, Amber Pinkerton, Marc Posso, Caio Rosa, Silvia Rosi, Lucie Rox, Makeda Sandford, Cécile Smetana Baudier, Justin Solomon, Texas Isaiah, David Uzochukwu, Juan Veloz, Isaac West, and Joshua Woods.

Admission-Tickets £10, Concessions available; under 10s go free (T&Cs apply). Free entry for Saatchi Gallery Members.
Tickets-Walk-ins welcome but pre-booking is advised. Tickets can be booked in advance online on http://saatchigallery.com/tickets

Read our latest reviews here Review Page | Abundant Art

This month Almeida Theatre opens its doors for a debut production by an all-star team. Elton John’s score, the Scissor Sisters’ Jake Shears’ lyrics and playwright James Graham’s script harmonise perfectly. 

The production tells the true story of Tammy Faye (Katie Brayben) and husband Jim Bakker (Andrew Rannells), American televangelists who shot to fame in the 1970’s as founders of Christian TV talk show, the Praise The Lord Club. With their modern approach to preaching, the couple brought the church directly into people’s homes and at the height of their success reached millions every day. As their fame soared, they began diversifying – opening resorts, selling merchandise and taking more and more donations. Ongoing feuds with other preachers caused trouble for the couple, but ultimately their own greed was their downfall and Jim was sent to prison for fraud. 

Despite her husband’s incarceration, Tammy Faye went on to become a television personality in her own right, hosting her own prime time show and reaching new and increasing audiences. Most notably, in 1985 she interviewed Steve Pieters, a young gay pastor and activist, living with HIV. It was a time when there was a lot of fear around the illness and has since seen Tammy Faye become an icon to the LGBTQIA+ community. 

Tammy Faye sees the couple’s story told through outstanding performances and with consideration, humour and tenderness. Brayben (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical) delivers Tammy Faye flawlessly, with a powerful voice that has the audience completely captivated. Rannells (The Book of Mormon, Hamilton) plays Jim well and with faultless comedic timing.

The musical is long, at just under 3 hours, yet flies by as you watch. A heart-warming and hilarious production with an important takeaway – we could all be a little more compassionate. Tammy Faye is a must see. 

Tammy Faye is showing at Almeida Theatre until 3 December and tickets are available here.

Image by Marc Brenner

Review by Amy Melling:Amy is a Curator and Creative Producer whose practice is centred around community-led arts projects. Her current research is focused on curatorial methods for exhibiting artworks outside. Amy has a keen interest in the arts and recently completed an MA in Curating and Collections at Chelsea College of Arts, UAL.

Read Amy’s latest review here Review: Curious, experimental, charming – Hayward Gallery’s latest exhibition, Strange Clay, lives up to its name! Now on until 8 Jan 23 – Abundant Art

Footnotes:

World Premiere-TAMMY FAYEA
Music by Elton John; Lyrics by Jake Shears; Book by James Graham
Director: Rupert Goold; Choreographer: Lynne Page; Designer: Bunny Christie; Costume Designer:Katrina Lindsay; Lighting Designer: Neil Austin; Sound Designer: Bobby Aitken; Musical Supervisor, CoOrchestrator and Arranger: Tom Deering; Co-Orchestrator: Mark Dickman; Video Designer: Finn Ross; Musical Director: Oli Jackson; Casting Director: Pippa Ailion and Natalie Gallacher

“It’s time to bring America back to God”
From a studio in South Carolina, Tammy Faye and Jim Bakker revolutionised religion.Preaching to millions 24 hours a day, Tammy just wants to put the fun back into faith.But a new wave of ministers wants you not to just feel God in your heart, but in your homes, in your schools and in the law too.This true story, directed by Almeida Artistic Director Rupert Goold (Spring Awakening), is a testament of faith, resilience and the temptations of success.

Full cast: Kelly Agbowu, Amy Booth-Steel, Katie Brayben, Ashley Campbell, Peter Caulfield, Danny Collins, Richard Dempsey, Fred Haig, Georgia Louise, Andrew Rannells, Robyn Rose, Nicholas Rowe, Martin Sarreal, Steve John Shepherd, Gemma Sutton and Zubin Varla.
Presented in association with Rocket Stage and Greene Light Stage. The production is supported by The Ruddock Foundation for the Arts.

The show features 23 international artists pushing the boundaries of ceramics. The artworks explore a range of themes including domestic life, the body and social justice. Delicate hanging objects, fantastical creatures and room-wide installations form this display, which presents ceramics in a whole new light. Curator Cliff Lauson said the aim of the exhibition is to “turn the old image of clay on its head and make it really exciting”, and that “The idea of clay as a serious art form has been bubbling at the forefront of contemporary practice for a while, alongside a wider consideration of craft”. 

Downstairs, various large-scale artworks stand out against the Hayward’s Brutalist architecture. In one space Lindsey Mendick’s Till Death Do Us Part sees a recreation of a home overrun by warring creatures. Mice with AK47s, hiding behind sandbags and even peeking out of a Trojan cat. The work explores the domestic as a battleground, reflecting the everyday conflicts that pervade our personal spaces. 

Upstairs, David Zink Yi’s giant squid Untitled (Architeuthis) is particularly eye-catching. Spanning almost 5m on the floor surrounded by a thick puddle of ink, the sculpture is so lifelike it requires a close look to determine the material. 

However, the exhibition’s highlight is just around the corner, where Klara Kristolova’s Far From Here engulfs the room. The scent of the work hits you before you even see it – earthy vegetation, like walking through a forest after rain. The work features 18 stoneware figures surrounded by a landscape of moss, dry leaves and branches. In this work, Kristolova explores transformation and myth. This is evident in the figures – part human, part animal – seemingly taken straight out of a fairytale. 

Strange Clay: Ceramics in Contemporary Art showcases the possibilities of clay. Here, we see artists innovatively explore a medium that can be tactile, messy, funny, exquisite and fragile – with extreme skill. This exhibition is eclectic, exciting and one not to be missed.

Strange Clay: Ceramics in Contemporary Art is showing at Hayward Gallery until 8 Jan 2023, tickets are available here.

Image: Installation view of Klara Kristalova-Strange Clay Ceramics in Contemporary Art at the Hayward-Gallery.

Photo: Mark Blower, Courtesy the Hayward-Gallery.

Review by Amy Melling: Amy is a Curator and Creative Producer whose practice is centred around community-led arts projects. Her current research is focused on curatorial methods for exhibiting artworks outside. Amy has a keen interest in the arts and recently completed an MA in Curating and Collections at Chelsea College of Arts, UAL.

Read Amy’s latest review here Review: Barbara Chase-Riboud: Infinite Folds at Serpentine North Gallery, now on until 29 Jan 2023 –Abundant Art

Footnote:

Strange Clay: Ceramics in Contemporary Art is the first large-scale group exhibition in the UK exploring how contemporary artists have used clay in unexpected ways.

Featuring 23 international artists working across recent decades, the exhibition examines the plasticity and the possibilities of ceramics.

The artworks on show encompass fantastical creatures and uncanny representations of the everyday, as well as ranging from small abstract works to large-scale installations that take the medium beyond the kiln.

Ahead of your visit, download Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture app, and explore the Hayward Gallery’s guide.

Available for download for free on the App Store or Google Play

DOWNLOAD BLOOMBERG CONNECTS

First introduced to the world at Brighton Festival in May 2022, Charlotte Spencer’s Written in the Body is a provocative performance touching upon the memories and experiences of being within the body, exploring this through the lens of touch and movement, This performance comes on a smaller scale than Spencer’s previous outdoor works such as “Walking Stories.”  This is a duet between dancers Petra Soor and Louise Tanoto. Through a series of combinations of abrupt, slow and swift movements they create a gripping portrayal of their embodied experience. Spoken words along with movements, and the accompanying music enhance the experience and provoke audience interpretation.

Written In the Body is an intimate and interpersonal journey of Spencer’s relationship to touch, yet it is relatable to us all. It urges us to reconsider our bodies as not just the physical host for our state of being, but rather a site of empowerment, a tool for radical action and a sacred space which we should have complete control over. The performance explores the body in relation to a range of different experiences and emotions, striking and powerful ones being consent and relationships. The dancers portray the ever changing and shifting nature of consent in a manner that encourages audience introspection on the power of touch and how the physicality of our bodies is able to speak for us when we are unable to use words. This thought-provoking concept underpins various choreographic segments. Particularly the one in which the dancers are locked in what seems to be a loving and affectionate embrace at first, but as one dancer squirms away from the other, we see the ideas of shifting responses to touch and the voices of our bodies filtering through.

 The piece conveys the joyous memories and experiences of the body through movements. Tender and soft movements are used in a scene which portrays the nerve wracking yet exhilarating feeling of holding a romantic interest’s hand for the first time. The audience feels this endearing moment through the slow, yet impactful words portrayed in movements.

The piece explores a dramatic mix of both harsh and soft light designed by Marty Langthorne to encourage and highlight change in emotions. Long drapes of soft fabric as part of the set design languidly move with the dancers and occasionally intertwine with the choreography, lending a layer of beauty and depth to the visual effect.

Charlotte Spencer’s Written in the Body is a profound experience that encourages us to think about the bodies in which we all inhabit, the impactful stories they tell through movements both subtle and powerful.  In her own words Spencer describes the piece as “a space to process your own joy, sense of aliveness and collective healing in an increasingly divided, disembodied world.”

Reviewed by Lian Lakhope.

Lian is a MA Global Media and Communications student at SOAS and a volunteer writer for Abundant Art. Lian has written for a number of different publications, mostly about music, culture and film and she is enthusiastic about expressing her passion for creating art and media.

Lian’s latest review Yellowman – Orange Tree Theatre, 5 Sept-8 Oct 22, Review (abundantart.net)

Photo credit: Rosie Powell

Footnote:

Charlotte Spencer’s work is motivated by interests to engage with important social and ecological questions and to find ways to express those enquiries through intimate live encounters with audiences. She often makes work for unusual spaces, inviting people to reencounter their bodies and their environments through action and participation. Making processes are deeply collaborative, involving long immersive residency periods which have included 3000 Km cycle rides and building camps in forests. Charlotte is perhaps best known for her performances through headphones: Is this a Waste Land? (2017), made for vast disused urban spaces; and Walking Stories (2013), a group audio walk for parks. She has made performance work with young people, older adults, community groups as well as professional artists. Her work has been presented nationally and internationally with a wide variety of partners, in lots of different kinds of spaces including Dance Umbrella (2015 & 2017), Brighton International Festival, Sadler’s Wells, Greenwich Dance, Tramway – Dance International Glasgow, Siobhan Davies Dance, South East Dance, Coastal Currents – Hastings, Turner Contemporary – Margate, Jerwood Gallery – Hastings, Salisbury International Festival, Festival DDD – Portugal, Deep Roots Tall Trees – Corby, Festival Plages Des Danse – France, Dance North, The Place, Welcome Collection. Charlotte was recipient of a Bonnie Bird Choreographic Development Award in 2020. She was a Sadler’s Wells Summer University artist 2015-18 and an Artist Activator for Greenwich Dance 2014-17. She trained at London Contemporary Dance School. Charlotte is a mother and has been building a house in Brighton for the past few years with her husband.

CHARLOTTE SPENCER PROJECTS

To celebrate the 30^th anniversary of releasing their sophomore album Going Blank Again, Ride played almost the full album front to back at Here at Outernet, a new venue that opened this September less than 30 seconds’ walk from Tottenham Court Road station. The venue is underneath Denmark Street – a historic street colloquially known as ‘Tin Pan Alley’ – which first earned renown for being the home of many music publishers, and since then for its music shops. As a spritely 14-year-old, I visited London with my family and went through that street playing a new guitar in each shop for as long as I could before being politely ejected by the staff.

Eventually, I bought a gorgeous Washburn hollow body for about £300 of birthday money I’d saved from Wunjo Guitars on Denmark Street; I cherished it and for some reason covered it in stickers of metal guitarists. And for this reason, Denmark Street always conjures up fond memories and a feeling of safe paradise.

It’s fitting therefore that Here at Outernet is underneath Denmark Street, because as I descended the stairs leading to the auditorium, I felt like Dante entering Hell in his Divine Comedy. Presumably a wordplay on ‘here’ (i.e., ‘the artist is here’) and ‘hear’ (i.e., ‘you can hear the music live’), Here is an undeniably cool venue, cool in all the same ways as Boxpark – that is, in none at all. The whole place is decorated minimally in matte black, and as you watch the music, attendants skirt around you – like Pacman around the maze – to clean up the floors and purge the room of any of that vile, unwanted grit which gigs are so infamous for.

The above only applies if you’re able to watch the music, however. The venue is planned in the most ingenious way: despite being 2000 cap, its lines of vision are comparable to that of a festival main stage. It recreates the intimacy of the ‘big venue feel’ – oft missed in smaller ones – by making about half of its punters watch the performance from screens if they intend on actually seeing anything. Simulating a huge stadium in the middle of Soho must have taken architecture’s greatest minds to engineer, and it is in keeping with the Outernet complex’s really cool ‘internet but outside’ thing.

Most laudable by far however is Here’s energy efficiency. It may have been early November, but you wouldn’t have known that at the venue, which had all the comforting warmness of the Jubilee line at rush hour. During Ride’s set, I foolishly wanted to step outside for a minute to get some fresh air – but in the spirit of conserving energy in our current fuel crisis, the bouncer rightly informed me that there was no re-entry.

Now, for the band: with the scene now well pictured, imagine me trialling out various vistas throughout the show, imagining the pros and cons of each. Mark Gardener and co played an excellent set: it turns out there are excellent sound systems in Hell. Either that, or Ride have really good gear – also a strong possibility, given their roots in shoegaze. At any rate, the sound was huge, and that is most important.

One of Ride’s very pleasant surprises was their capability. Gardener still has the voice that has first made Ride so recognisable, and all four of them play with gusto, precision, and energy; the most impressive by far was Loz Colbert on drums (more on this later). None of the sloppiness of many other loud 90s bands. The reason this surprised me is that both on stage and off, the gig looked like a meetup of rejects for an upcoming Paul Weller biopic: I don’t think I’ve seen so many Harrington jackets in one room since I saw the King of the Mods himself at Plymouth Pavilions in 2015.

It makes sense that both band and crowd were in their smartest Freds and Clarks though. Going Blank Again was the point where Ride finally did what Nowhere threatened to do: they leapt faithfully into the melodic, Beatles/The Who/Stone Roses, lalala, ‘Sally Cinnamon’ sound that will never fail to put middle aged bums on seats. Mixing it with their thick, lush walls of sounds and washed-out vocals though, it injected life into a subculture otherwise known by outsiders exclusively for its tiredness.

On the subject of Going Blank Again, they did what any good anniversary set does: played (almost) the entire album. If you just play a few more songs from it than you ordinarily would, it risks feeling like a greatest hits set marred by some lesser tracks, or worse still, an opportunistic money grab. That the album start to finish worked excellently is testament to both Ride as performers and songwriters. After finishing with ‘Grasshopper’, they finished their set proper and did a seven-song encore of old hits and songs recorded since their 2015 reunion. They finished with ‘Chelsea Girl’, the first track from their first EP, and also my personal favourite Ride song. In the super loud, epic ending, I could feel Colbert smashing the pans so well.

My only real criticism of the band itself was the album/encore structure. Waiting a few minutes for them to come back out when they would obviously have to play some hits felt a bit forced. They could have just said, ‘That was the album, now let’s play some hits.’ A seven-song encore is also just a bit… weird. But if you actually got to the end of this self-indulgent review, I hope it’s evident that my bonfire night was one hell of a Ride (badoom-ch!).

Image credit: Loz Colbert

Review by Cian Kinsella

Cian is a Classics teacher and part-time pub quizmaster living in London who is primarily interested in music but is also interested in theatre, literature, and visual arts. He is particularly intrigued by the relationship between art, criticism, and the capital forces always at play. Furthermore, he believes that subjectivity – which is ultimately at the heart of all artistic and cultural criticism – should not be concealed, but probed and perhaps even celebrated. Who decides what we like? How do they construct widely held beliefs about what is good? These are two of the questions Cian looks to address.

Read Cian’s latest feature OCTOBER FEATURE: Brinson: Before He Cracks The Sky and 10 Things Every Christian Hip Hop Artist Should Know – Abundant Art

Footnote:

Ride plays a ‘Going Blank Again’ 30th anniversary show at HERE, Outernet 5th November. This ties in with the reissues of their ‘4 EPs’ and classic Creation Records albums, released 4th November via Wichita Recordings

thebandride.com
wichita-recordings.com

Ride live shows 2022

28th October Ride play Nowhere30 livestream
5th November Going Blank Again 30th anniversary @ HERE, the Outernet, Soho, London
11th – 12th November Rolling Stone Beach Weekender @ Weisenhäuser Strand,
Lübeck, Germany
14th November @ Festsaal Kreuzberg, Berlin, Germany – with GOAT
15th November @ ZAKK, Düsseldorf, Germany – with support from Tallies
29th November @ The Gov, Adelaide, Australia
30th November @ The Forum, Melbourne, Australia
1st December @ The Enmore Theatre, Sydney, Australia
2nd December @ Princess Theatre, Brisbane, Australia
4th December @ Freo Social, Fremantle, Perth, Australia
6th December @ The Studio, Auckland, New Zealand

All tickets are available from thebandride.com/tour

This Autumn, Serpentine opens Infinite Folds, the first UK solo exhibition of artist, novelist and poet Barbara Chase-Riboud. The exhibition is an in-depth exploration of the artist’s practice, presented chronologically from the 1950’s to the present day.

 One of the first works on display is Adam and Eve, 1958, a striking bronze sculpture. A rarity, as Infinite Folds sees the first public display of this piece. The work features two abstract figures embracing beneath a tree – thin limbs and textured metal reminiscent of a Giacometti. Here, we see Chase-Riboud’s early experimentation with technique and materiality. As the exhibition continues, the works chart the progression of her own signature style. Rope, metal, knots and braids are all manipulated in mesmerising ways. 

As well as an innovative artistic practice, Chase-Riboud is an accomplished poet and historical fiction writer. In her own words,  poetry is “very close to a discipline both familiar and dear to me: drawing. Both are dangerous searches for perfection…drawings prepared me for the demands of poetry”. Her first novel, Sally Hemings, published in 1979 gained notoriety for exploring the relationship between the enslaved woman, Sally Hemings and US President Thomas Jefferson. She has since published over ten texts, with some also adapted for film and television. 

In Infinite Folds, we see Barbara Chase-Riboud’s literary work convene with her artistic practice. Historical figures, legacy and power are recurring themes. Chase-Riboud’s widely celebrated sculptures from the series The Malcolm X Steles, take centre stage. The works – monochrome arrangements of sculpted bronze and braided fibres – are dedicated to the human rights activist who was assassinated in 1965. Of the series, Chase-Riboud says, “What they do is embody the spirituality of Malcolm, without having to depict him as a person”. Many of Chase-Riboud’s works explore figures under or misrepresented throughout history. Together they stand like monuments in Serpentine’s white-walled gallery spaces. 

Infinite Folds is a fascinating and comprehensive presentation of Barbara Chase-Riboud’s practice and one that is very much overdue.

Barbara Chase-Riboud: Infinite Folds is showing at Serpentine North Gallery until 29 January 2023. It is free to attend and more information is available here.

Image: Barbara Chase-Riboud: Infinite Folds, installation views, Serpentine North © Barbara Chase-Riboud 2022. Photo: © Jo Underhill, courtesy Serpentine.

Review by Amy Melling: Amy is a Curator and Creative Producer whose practice is centred around community-led arts projects. Her current research is focused on curatorial methods for exhibiting artworks outside. Amy has a keen interest in the arts and recently completed an MA in Curating and Collections at Chelsea College of Arts, UAL.

Read Amy’s latest review here Hallyu! The Korean Wave at the V&A – on now until 25 June 2023-Review – Abundant Art

Intimate drawings and large-scale projections: Cuts in the Day explores queer desire, relationships and connection. For their first institutional exhibition, Camden Art Centre welcome Dani and Sheilah ReStack in this specially commissioned series of works.

Dani and Sheilah ReStack are both artists respectively as well as in collaboration. They often work at the intersection of video and sculpture – such as Dani ReStack’s Myths of the Academy (MOTA), a part-3D installation, part-film work exploring birth and pregnancy. Their artistic partnership reflects openly on their domestic lives, relationship and family. Although these themes are often explored in their practices, Cuts in the Day digs even deeper.

In Camden Art Centre, the show is split between two rooms. The first room is vast with a small video room at the back. The works here are intriguing – 2D surfaces built up with paint, newspapers, charcoal and cowhides. They are carnal but beautiful, each work revealing something new. 

Inside the small room at the back, the video is captivating. Projected over one corner of the space, we see a person crouched, half submerged in water. The camera sits on the sand bed gently moving with the ebb and flow of the current. It witnesses life underwater, scuttling crabs, flailing legs, floating debris. When the film finishes, a white screen lights up the wall and the physical structure underneath is revealed – cardboard, sand, fabric and paint all recreating elements from the video in three dimensions. As the video loops around again, the elements satisfyingly line up with imagery in the video. The work here is bewitching, ensuring the viewer stays to watch the loop on rotation.

In the second, smaller space the artists present three large handmade sketchbooks. Flicking through uncovers handwritten notes, photos and line drawings – here, the artist’s ideas become works in their own right. Finally, the artist’s collaborative video trilogy, Feral Domestic, is presented. The video is an exploration of the artist’s relationships – joys and disappointments all embraced. 

Cuts in the Day is compact and well formed, exhibiting experimental and innovative approaches to materials. An intriguing exhibition investigating thought-provoking concepts. 

Cuts in the Day is showing at Camden Art Centre until 15 Jan 2023. Tickets are free and more information is available here. 

Image by Luke Walker

Review by Amy Melling

Amy is a Curator and Creative Producer whose practice is centred around community-led arts projects. Her current research is focused on curatorial methods for exhibiting artworks outside. Amy has a keen interest in the arts and recently completed an MA in Curating and Collections at Chelsea College of Arts, UAL.

Read Amy’s latest review Hallyu! The Korean Wave at the V&A – on now until 25 June 2023-Review – Abundant Art

The alaap in Indian classical music is similar to the prelude in western classical music. It can be long but it extends a meditative calm as the artist slowly builds their interpretation of the mood of the raga (melodic framework for improvisation in classical Indian music) and prepares the audience for a journey into a personal musicscape. Each raga is one of the possible and aurally pleasing specific combination of seven notes but the Indian system leaves room for the artists personal and impromptu improvisation. This insightful parallel between the alaap and the prelude was drawn in the opening remarks on the final evening of Darbar festival by Benedetta Pinelli – the executive producer of Sky Arts- an organisation which has done so much in supporting and promoting this carnival of pure music over the last few years.

The big difference between the Indian and the western music system is the lack of notation in the former and the freedom to improvise. It’s a heritage that allows the artists a calculated and precise freedom to express themselves. The Darbar festival which is in its 17th year had been instrumental in introducing western audiences including the Indian diaspora to the nuances of this ancient classical tradition. In the process it has evolved to become the big benchmark of Indian classical music, launching the careers of numerous artists. What started as a tribute to much respected tabla teacher and educationist Bhai Gurmit Singh Virdee, has now morphed onto the definitive high watermark in the Indian music season, in the same way as Dover Lane or Sangeet Natak Academy did in the Indian scene.

The final evening in this year’s showcase opened with a short statement from founder Sandeep Virdee whose single-minded devotion to the cause of music has awakened a full generation of audiences to the sublime beauty and precision of an ancient musical tradition. Unlike the political affiliations or paid media connections that can often bedevil similar initiatives in the home country, for the Darbar festival only quality and talent serve as the criterion for the showcase. In this year’s line-up for example, in addition to established maestros such as Shubha Mudgal and Purbayan Chatterjee, we also had young masters such as the Wahane sisters, Sanskrati (sitar) and Prakrati (santoor) who performed on their first international tour at Darbar this year and another child prodigy who has developed into one of India’s finest tabla talents, Yashwant Vaishnava, electrified the audience with their performances

The first half of the double bill started with the quartet of Purbayan Chatterjee on sitar, Rakesh Chaurasia on flute, Satyajit Talwalkar and Patri Satish Kumar on the percussion instruments of Tabla and Mridangam respectively. Chaurasia opened with a languid evocation of the raga Behag with Kumar chiming in with his rhythmic beating of the mridangam. Kumar would later demonstrate why Virdee advised seat belts for the audience in his opening speech. Chaurasia’s flute soared and lifted the audience into a realm of flowing streams and blossoming flowers. Kumar’s mridangam beat a cosmic rhythm offering glimpses to experiences of other realities. Chatterjee joined in with his immaculate mastery of the sitar strings, expanding on the themes floated by the flute, often combining with a dexterous expression of beat cycles and note interpretations. Talwalkar’s tabla recited the sequences with electrifying flourish sometimes rising to a frenzied crescendo. At other times slowing down in playful exchange with the other artists. The quartet moved on to raga Desh and concluded their performance with some melodious Pahari compositions.

The second half opened with a vilambit (slow tempo) alaap on raga Chayanat by renowned vocalist Shubha Mudgal. The bandish (fixed melodic composition) for the vilambit is a traditional one with an unknown composer, one which has been sung for several centuries. She then moved onto a drut (fast tempo) with a bandish composed by her late guru pandit Ramashray Jha. The maestro with the luminous voice is at the zenith of her skills. The clarity of the aarohan (ascending scale of notes) in her exposition of the Chayanat is pure and can be compared to an auspicious offering to the gods.

As the magical evening drew to a close it was clear that the Darbar festival has succeeded in immersing its audiences in pure musical bliss and enriched their understanding of the sublime beauty and rigorous discipline of the classical Indian tradition. True to its word the Darbar festival this year has been thrilling, inspirational and soul stirring.

Written by Protima Chatterjee, Abundant Art

Eeshar Singh at the Darbar Festival: A Mystical Afternoon– Barbican, 15 Oct 2022-Review – Abundant Art

Darbar Arts Culture Heritage Trust (Darbar) | Indian Classical Music

When Eeshar Singh was first invited to play at the Darbar festival, he apparently declined. Prompted for a reason by the same Sikh elder now laughingly introducing Singh’s performance, the Bradford-born musician had related that this summer past he was getting married. Some of the white-British members of the audience around me guffawed. The Barbican’s Darbar festival is perhaps the most prestigious celebration of Classical Indian music in the U.K.; for most Indian musicians of Eeshar Singh’s age, performing at Darbar is a dream. However, upon hearing the same disclosure, the majority Punjabi-Sikh audience grinned. Whether you’re born in Amritsar or Leicester, every Sikh knows how all-consuming it is to get married Punjabi-style.

Despite his initial reticence to perform, Singh’s confidence and maturity with the santoor slowly had me entranced. His first raga, delivered solo, grew slowly in intensity such that I found myself slowly lulled into an unexpectedly meditative state. When Yashwant Vaishnav joined Eeshar Singh on the tabla, the addition of Vaishnav’s percussion even further intensified the rhythmic mysticism evoked by Singh’s santoor. The santoor is built like a harp and makes a pealing sound that rings almost celestial; the tabla, meanwhile, is a set of Indian drums that look deceptively simple and yet produce an incredible range of textures and sounds. Together, Singh and Vaishnav pulled me into another world. I understand now why the santoor is considered a divine instrument for Sufi mystics.

Sat in the auditorium, I was too hypnotized to think any interesting thoughts. Upon recovery, I reflected on how moving it also felt to be sat in one of London’s leading cultural institutions listening to a genre of music I associate with the Sikh gurudwara. Even more so, to be surrounded by other Punjabis, many like myself and Eeshar Singh, members of the British-Punjabi diaspora. And perhaps most moving was the visible presence of white-British musicians who were just as grateful to be sat in that hall listening to world-class music as me.

At the end of the concert, an impassioned Sikh cried out boleh so niyal, which is perhaps the most recognisable of the Sikh jaikara, or exultations. I’d only ever heard this phrase as the closing invocation of Sikh prayer, and indeed only heard the answering call sat sri akal murmured by members of a Sikh congregation. Besides being an integral part of Sikh liturgy, this powerful phrase is also expressed in moments of intense joy or fervor. In English, it translates to: ‘Shout aloud in ecstasy; True is the Timeless One.’ My ears were still ringing at the end of Singh and Vaishnav’s duet when I heard this spontaneous invocation to the Divine thundering out from the audience. The whole auditorium echoed as from every other seat came the ringing bellow of Sikhs answering the call. Eeshar Singh clasped his hands together; as for me, caught off-guards and intensely moved, I sort of trembled. It was perhaps one of the most religious encounters with my own faith I’ve ever experienced, surrounded by a British audience at a secular venue in central London.

It’s a strange thing when you grow up hiding what makes you different, and as you get older you begin the process of undoing and unlearning that shame. And then a few years into adulthood, to experience that rare unprompted eruption of pride for your people is still strange and shocking, because it comes not from deliberate deconstruction but from raw emotion. I feel very grateful that Eeshar Singh and his zealous audience of uproariously proud Punjabis could manifest that in me.

Review by Sophia Sheera

Sophia is a writer interested in migration, cultural citizenship, displacement and queerness with a focus on Central Asia and Northern India. Sophia is inspired by talking to the people whose stories are sidetracked by sensationalist headlines, and as such aspires to share those counter-narratives through political journalism.

Sophia’s latest review is here https://www.abundantart.net/review/national-gallerys-contemporary-fellowship-exhibition-opens-with-nalini-malanis-my-reality-is-different-at-the-holburne-museum-bath-7-oct-to-8-jan-review/

Image by Sukhpal Bhogal, Source-Darbar Festival

For more information:

Darbar Arts Culture Heritage Trust (Darbar) | Indian Classical Music

Welcome to the UK’s first full sensory music experience! This Black History Month, LexTempus VLT-001 has launched “The Greats” at Aures London, transporting you on a journey through the 50s to the 80s, exploring the social and political injustices throughout American history which shaped Black music and a culture that transcended across not only the nation, but the world. This immersive experience celebrates the legends of Jazz, Soul and Disco, using state-of-the-art technology, live dancers and tantalising cocktails from the venue’s mixologists – it is an experience which you must catch whilst you can!

At first, we are introduced to “Arya” – the voice behind the digital transport machine – who welcomes us to the sensory experience. This consists of visual, audio and touch calibration. The Haptic 4D seating pulsates to the beat of the music playing through the ultra-quality sound system, and the screen projects around the room, captivating the audience’s senses completely.

The first stop of the journey was Chicago in the 50-60s, introducing us to the vibrant jazz scene. Music played from the pioneers of Jazz, such as Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone, and many more, accompanied by glimpses of the historical background which led to the creation of the music. The popularisation of Jazz music led to the development of new genres and allowed black people in America to express themselves in a way which they once could not do.

Next, we stopped in New York in the 60s and 70s, exploring the era of Soul music. This decade signified the strengthening of the Civil Rights Movement, the solidification of Black American culture and solidarity. Accompanied by dancers who told the story of the legend Curtis Mayfield, whose music incorporated the politics of the time, the show was revealing of America’s deep history but celebrated the feel-good music which erupted at the time. Timeless songs such as ‘Walk on By’, ‘Papa was a Rollin’ Stone’ and many more, had the audience moving to the music, signifying the influence this era of music has even today.

Finally (and my personal favourite), we entered San Francisco in the 80s where we enjoyed the music of the much-loved Disco Queens. This part of the show brought a great energy to the audience, as we danced to Diana Ross, Chic, Donna Summers and more. The experience was brilliantly unique – it served as a great evening out yet celebrated and reminded us of the importance of Black History Month.

Click here for more information and to book your tickets: https://www.aures-london.com/lextempus

Image by Aures London

Reviewed by Ridha Sheikh:Ridha is a volunteer writer for Abundant Art. She is a graduate in History and Politics from Queen Mary – University of London. Ridha is excited to explore and share her strong passion for London’s art scene.

Ridha’s latest review can be seen here Beyond Bollywood – Peacock Theatre, Sadlers Wells Review – Abundant Art

Foot Note:

Performances of “The Greats” are displayed on a 12k floor to ceiling screen, and 270-degree immersive visuals. Visuals are brought to life by stellar live dance performances, choreographed by Veroika Koleva, and crystal-clear audio from a 34-point multi-level Pioneer Pro Audio Speaker system.

Voyagers can even physically feel the music with Haptic (Vibration) interface. Room Scent nebulizer by Ecoscent will refabricate the aromas of each destination.

Curated menu of era theme cocktails – created by the established mixologist, Liam Reed – will be served up throughout the journey, offering a tantalising taste of the times.

Experts in producing immersive events, Aures London sits on Leake Street beneath Waterloo Station. Proudly housing the best sound system and acoustics in Europe. Flight VLT-001 “The Greats” will board at Gate 18, where the historical, full sensory round trip begins.

Sam Davis and Robyn Collins are the creative team behind LexTempus and Aures