MONDAY 24 MAY 2010, 9.30am – TRAFALGAR SQUARE
Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, unveils ‘Nelson’s Ship in a Bottle’ by Yinka Shonibare, MBE.
Commissioned by the Mayor of London and supported by Arts Council England with sponsorship from Guaranty Trust Bank of Nigeria and additional funding from the Henry Moore Foundation, Nelson’s Ship in a Bottle is a giant scale replica of HMS Victory, in a bottle.
The ship’s enormous sails will be made of the exuberant and richly patterned textiles commonly associated with African dress. Assumed to be African, these fabrics are, in fact, inspired by Indonesian batik design, mass produced by the Dutch and sold to the colonies in West Africa. By the 1960s the material was popularly assimilated in Africa and became symbolic of African identity and independence. Tying together historical and global threads and traversing oceans and continents, this work considers the complexity of British expansion in trade and Empire, made possible through the freedom of the seas that Nelson’s victory provided.
“London is such a diverse community” says Yinka Shonibare, “and art is a fantastic way to engage everyone regardless of race, class or gender. It is particularly great that this piece is an expression of Nelson’s legacy, a legacy which has contributed to the diversity of this city.”
The artwork will be the first commission on the Fourth Plinth to reflect specifically on the historical symbolism of Trafalgar Square. It is also the first commission by a black British artist.
This event is free and open to all.?
TUESDAY 25 MAY 2010 – TATE BRITAIN
Panel discussion at Tate Britain inspired by the Fourth Plinth Commission
Message in a Bottle: Debating Multiculturalism and the Arts
To coincide with the unveiling of the next Fourth Plinth Commission, Tate Britain will host a discussion on Africa Day: Tuesday 25 May exploring the legacy and impact of multiculturalism in the context of the arts in Britain today.
Speakers include:
Kwame Kwei-Armah (Playwright, broadcaster, actor)
Yinka Shonibare, MBE (artist)
Munira Mirza (Mayor’s Director of Arts and Cultural Policy for London)
Yasmin Alibhai-Brown (Columnist, writer and cultural commentator)
Matthew Taylor (Director of Royal Society of Arts)
Multiculturalism and its many legacies is a contested concept. For some it celebrates and encourages diversity and the positive impact of migration on the British landscape. For others, multiculturalism causes cultural division and has even played a part in the development of home grown terrorism.
The panel will consider these difficult questions about the legacies of multiculturalism within the field of art and culture. Is multiculturalism a spent force that promotes cultural disharmony? What is the future for multicultural approaches to art and culture in a changed political and cultural climate of austerity and cutbacks? What does multiculturalism mean in a context of globalisation and ‘superdiversity’? What does it mean to be British in the 21st century?
Supported by Guaranty Trust Bank, plc and Stephen Friedman Gallery, London, and organised in association with the Fourth Plinth Commission.
Tuesday 25 May 2010, 18.30–20.00 Tate Britain Clore Auditorium £5 (£3 concessions), booking recommended For tickets book online or call 020 7887 8888
www.stephenfriedman.com
Interview/Feature:[The Guardian ]
