Recently I had the pleasure of interviewing Skye, a pint-sized revolutionist draped in African fabric, Kenyan beads and donning a military jacket that says Gay & African. I won’t give too much away as you will be able to read her compelling story in the next issue of Complexd, but she has been selected to take part in a project in London that is extremely Complexd.
Skye from Zimbabwe Photographed by Zanele Muholi
Over the last three years, The Photographers’ Gallery has been commissioning photographers to take portraits of 204 Londoners for a major public art project, called The World in London.
India Dane Ngatama May from Cook Islands Photographed by Charlotte Player
Coinciding with the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the portraits will present Londoners who originate from each of the competing nations and showcase the diverse cultural mix found in London. Large-scale posters will be exhibited at two sites close to Olympic venues and on a website dedicated to offering access to the personal stories behind each portrait. (www.theworldinlondon.org.uk)
Pimjai Ponsawan from Thailand Photographed by Albrecht Tübke
The project will feature individuals from all cultures, classes and creeds that contribute to London’s unique population. Fashion Designer, Alexander McQueen was photographed by American photographer Andres Serrano to represent Great Britain, a year before his unexpected death.
The project is supported by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, whose founder Calouste Sarkis Gulbenkian, was a Multicultural and multilingual art collector who spent his career bringing people from different cultures and nationalities together. Andrew Barnett, the current Director of Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation in the UK hit the nail on the head when he said:
‘The 204 portrait photographs of this innovative public art project challenge cultural stereotypes and help us to explore the rich diversity of our City, and fits squarely as part of the largest cultural celebration in the history of the modern Olympic and Paralympic Movements.’
Ana Lavekau& Takenivula Rakei from Fiji Photographed by Salvador Brown
Exhibition Info: The World in London
1st Location: Victoria Park, London, E3
Dates: 27 July – 12 August 2012
Admission: Free
2nd Location: Park House, 453 – 497 Oxford Street, London, W1
Dates: 27 July – 30 August 2012
For more info click here
If you are not in London you can view the exhibition online here