A World In Common - Tate Modern
This year I became a member of Tate. My membership gives me access to four art galleries: Tate Britain, Tate Modern, Tate Liverpool, and Tate St Ives. It features British art and international modern and contemporary art. As a qualified accountant; I realised that I spend so much time focusing on finances and not enough time enjoying the art scene in London. Some of the most amazing exhibitions are in London. My Tate membership allows me and my family to explore these exhibitions anytime for free. My mom, Chloe, and I went to Tate Modern to check out “A World in Common” exhibition. This exhibition brings together 36 artists who use photography to reimagine Africa’s place in the world. It’s inspired by the continent’s rich cultural traditions and present day social and political realities. Drawing in the theories of Cameroonian philosopher Achille Mbembe, the exhibition invites us to imagine a world in common. It suggests that to conceive ‘a world in common’ is to imagine a future of possibility. There is no single, definitive history of Africa. It is a continent of multiple, interconnected realities. Pushing the boundaries of photography and film, the artists in A World in Common confront reductive representations of African peoples and cultures. They address photography’s past and embrace its potential to reframe the present and shape tomorrow.
The exhibition is divided into three chapters: Identity and Tradition, Counter Histories and Imagined Futures. The first chapter is rooted in ancient African cultures and traditions which have survived periods of struggle and resistance. Inspired by Pan-African liberation movements, the second chapter looks at photography’s ability to produce counter histories - archival practices and the agency of photographer and subject are brought into focus. The third chapter explores the impact of globalisation and the climate emergency. Here, artists imagine a shared future informed by common realities. A World in Common creates space for exchange and discovery, inviting us to imagine new ways of inhabiting the earth. I really enjoyed this exhibition and highly recommend it. It will be available until 14th January 2024.
