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ArchiveExhibition

Ghosts of Empires II

16 Sep-22 Oct 2022
PV 16 Sep 2022, 6-8pm

Ben Brown Fine Arts
London W1K 4DG

Overview

Ben Brown Fine Arts is pleased to announce Ghosts of Empires ll, an exhibition curated by Ghanaian-American curator and cultural critic Larry Ossei-Mensah. Taking place at Ben Brown Fine Arts London (15 September – 22 October 2022),  the  exhibition  seeks  to  explore  the  intersections,  overlaps,  and  dissonance  between  the  Black  Atlantic  and  Asia  Imperialist Trade routes and brings together an extraordinary group of contemporary artists hailing from African and  Asian diasporas.   

This seminal exhibition features the work of Hurvin Anderson, Alvaro Barrington, Adam de Boer, Delphine Desane, Theaster Gates, Jeanne F.  Jalandoni, Tidawhitney Lek, Chris Ofili,  Fadekemi  Ogunsanya, Maia Cruz  Palileo, Miguel  Àngel Payano  Jr., Paul  Anthony Smith, Zao Wou-Ki and Livien Yin.    

Inspired by the formative text by British-Ghanaian author and MP Kwasi Kwarteng, Ghosts of Empire: Britain's Legacies in the Modern World, the exhibition at its crux is an examination of how artists from African and Asian diasporas are using their artistic practices as a platform to engage with the legacies of slavery, migration, colonialism, imperialism trade and sovereignty in contemporary times.  By amplifying the conscious acts of liberation, resistance, and perseverance these communities have exhibited –  despite  their  historical  circumstances  –  Ghosts  of  Empires  ll  will  provide a forum for a nuanced understanding of their collective diasporic histories.

Selected works

Installation views

Press

Ghosts of Empires II press release
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