In conversation with Melissa Chemam: 'Here, there… Evenwhere'

Harbin, Anne; Chemam, Melissa

Abstract

For six decades, Arnolfini has brought the works of many thousands of artists, from all over the world, to many millions of people here in Bristol. There are many different ways in which this history can be told, many different threads of development and influence, and many different individuals and communities who have made found in Arnolfini a home. One such individual is Melissa Chemam, and her story of Arnolfini’s past draws together the work of a number of artists who have shown here, who come from Africa, or who were born into various African diaspora communities around the world. Artists working in many different styles and media, working in response to a host of various cultural and political movements and moments are covered – from the Harlem Renaissance to the Bristol Bus Boycott, the UK’s joining of the EU to Brexit, a traditional commemoration of Edward Colston to the toppling of his statue. Weaving them together is Melissa’s own unique perspective of Bristol, how she came to live here after a long-term interest in the city’s art and music scenes, told from her vantage point as a journalist who has spent many years working in Africa and the Caribbean, and as a member of the African diaspora herself.

• Exhibition Performance Type: Performance
• Start Date: Oct 26, 2021
• Deposit Date: Oct 30, 2024
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/13324664
• External URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDwTAuC5Ls4