This week’s Culture Radar guest is Kate Haselden, Assistant Curator at Tate Liverpool.
Loved: It was great to see Gender Stories at the Walker Art Gallery – the exhibition brings together some amazing works by Ajamu X, Del LaGrace Volcano, David Hockney and many others. One of my favourite works was a small watercolour portrait by Sarah Biffin (1784-1850), a female artist who established a successful career as a portrait painter and challenged attitudes towards disability.
Looking forward to: FACT is presenting two events focused on the work of John Akomfrah. I am particularly looking forward to the screening of ‘The Stuart Hall Project’ and thinking through how we reflect on forgotten histories. It is fantastic to see this alongside Akomfrah’s ‘Listening All Night to the Rain’ at the Walker; he discusses his long personal and professional relationship with Liverpool in the introduction to this display.
What is coming up for your organisation? We are organising a collaborative event with the International Slavery Museum on the 11th July, entitled ‘Call and Response: How does the land remember slavery?’. The free event will explore the impact of transatlantic slavery on the environment, with conversations informing displays at Tate Liverpool and the new International Slavery Museum.
We have two incredible speakers joining us – artist Imani Jacqueline Brown and writer and artist Tao Leigh Goffe. Both are undertaking crucial research into connections between exploitation of the environment and climate change. Goffe is travelling from New York for this event, so we are incredibly excited to welcome her to Liverpool.
The event is free but booking is essential.
Trivia: We have just announced our first major commission for the new Art Hall space of Tate Liverpool. Asad Raza will create the inaugural commission which will greet visitors as they enter our transformed gallery.