Join us as we celebrate the launch of Nottingham Arts Mela 2019 and mark the new exhibition, Memory of Land. New Art Exchange will be hosting a panel discussion exploring process and contexts of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Amritsar 100 years on, with artists Nirvair Singh Rai, Janhavi Sharma and Manmit Singh, moderated by Skinder Hundal. As well as this, there will be a key thought paper presented by Ranjit Sondhi CBE plus a live DJ set in the NAE CaféBar.

Local school groups will spend the day creating South Asian inspired crafts and music.

NOTTINGHAM ARTS MELA 2019 LAUNCH

This year we celebrate 31 years of Mela in the UK. Our theme is Illusions in Transit €“ exploring the journeys of people, art and society, in times of divisive politics, fake news offering an exciting programme which captures the creative and cultural spirit of the city of Nottingham and the Midlands region – providing alternative pathways to harmony and happier states of mind.

With a strong South Asian root, we strive towards an inclusive and vibrant society. The programme this year includes live performance, exhibitions, poetry, craft and food stalls, and a series of special community engagement commissions. The festival will be held at New Art Exchange, Arboretum Park and venues across Hockley.

Curated by Sooree Pillay and Skinder Hundal

NIRVAIR SINGH RAI & JANHAVI SHARMA: MEMORY OF LAND

Photographer and filmmaker Nirvair Singh Rai and visual artist Janhavi Sharma have embarked on a research project across the Punjab region of India and the holy city of Amritsar to create a new body of work. The installation, combining photography and digitally manipulated painting, seeks to remember the Jallianwalla Bagh massacre of 1919 which saw British Indian Army troops fire upon unarmed Indian civilians who were assembled for a peaceful protest and to honour the Sikh festival of Baisakhi.

Through visiting the site, and interviewing local communities, Rai and Sharma seek to understand the psychology of surviving grief through the memory of land; land being the only witness left 100 years on from this deplorable act.
Part of Here There & Everywhere and Nottingham Arts Mela 2019.

Free

All are welcome