UNTITLED: art on the conditions of our time

UNTITLED: art on the conditions of our time is a touring exhibition produced by New Art Exchange, curated in collaboration with NAE by Paul Goodwin and Hansi Momodu-Gordon. Presenting a survey of contemporary practice by a selection of Britain’s African- Diaspora artists the project brings together over 20 artworks by: Larry Achiampong & David Blandy, Barby Asante, Appau Junior Boakye-Yiadom, Phoebe Boswell, Kimathi Donkor, Evan Ifekoya, Cedar Lewisohn, Harold Offeh, Ima-Abasi Okon, NT and Barbara Walker.

As the open ended nature of the title suggests, the show resists the typical method of ‘framing’ artworks through a particular lens or theme. Instead the exhibition locates the artistic production at the centre of the project to create a stimulating space where artworks can be openly experienced, and where the interplay between practices can be observed. In turn, this collective mass of artists and ideas creates a snapshot of our contemporary moment.

The exhibition invites visitors to view these works as creative proposals for coming to terms with some of the key questions and concerns of our present cultural condition. This includes reflections on technology and human identities, the relevance of history and memory to contemporary life, the legacy of colonialism, the fluidity of gender identities and the transnational migrant crisis. UNTITLED doesn’t present fixed answers to these crucial questions, but encourages viewers to contemplate, wrestle with and draw their own conclusions.

UNTITLED displays a ‘snapshot’ of art today by mapping a variety of practice and medium, including conversational, participatory practice and the use of online gaming technology; to painting, drawing, performance, film, printmaking and bookbinding. This broad survey approach reveals the key concerns of artists working today and as such, the current conditions of our time, from shifting racial, sexual and gendered identities, to investigations of popular culture, social networks, history and conflict.

This exhibition is a new iteration of UNTITLED: art on the conditions of our time, originally produced by New Art Exchange, Nottingham in 2017, and curated by Paul Goodwin and Hansi Momodu-Gordon. At Kettle’s Yard it is curated by Paul Goodwin with Guy Haywood. The exhibition is financially supported by Arts Council, England.

Find out more on the Kettle’s Yard website here.

Image – Larry Achiampong & David Blandy, Finding Fanon Part One, 2015, courtesy of Copperfield Gallery & Seventeen Gallery, London, Image: Claire Barrett.