INDEX
Illuminating Hidden Histories Through Visualization
-Do you think the merging of fashion and art will continue to increase?
Kurino：As I mentioned earlier about Tate Modern, I’m reminded of an exceptional exhibition I saw at Tate Britain last January titled HEW LOCKE: THE PROCESSION. In this exhibition, the artist Hew Locke, who shares a similar background to Grace Wales Bonner—born in Africa, raised in the Caribbean, and residing in the UK—depicted the culture of Caribbean communities and the history of their exploitation within capitalist and white societies. Specifically, the exhibition was themed around traditional Caribbean festival parades, featuring a 100-meter-long installation that showcased Caribbean culture, the history of slavery, and the culture of the colonizing nations. Some elements reflected African culture as filtered through white societies, including aspects of Vodou and the hardships faced by those working in sugar cane fields.
Kurino: Additionally, the exhibition referenced historical designs of handprints and currency to highlight stark discrimination, such as the blatant inequality where £1 was valued differently for Black people compared to £1000 for white people. It vividly visualized the era’s normalized discrimination through art, resulting in a very well-executed installation. To avoid misunderstanding, I would even say that from a fashion perspective, it was as innovative and creative as installations by COMME des GARÇONS or Maison Margiela.
-Reinterpreting human history is conveyed through expressions like these.
Kurino： Tate, an institution built on the immense wealth generated through the exploitation of enslaved people in the sugar industry, represents a contentious legacy for many of African descent. The exhibition, therefore, appears to be an effort to address this historical context in an educational way, aiming to enhance understanding of Caribbean and African cultures. This approach, similar to Wales Bonner’s contribution to the LIFE BETWEEN ISLANDS exhibition, reflects a recent trend at Tate to actively explore Caribbean African and UK African histories that were previously underrepresented.
While integrating education with entertainment might not be considered alternative in other countries, it is still a relatively novel concept in Japan and may be viewed as more unconventional there. I believe that this educational approach within entertainment will continue to expand globally. Although it might be seen as a temporary response to the BLM movement, it feels like something much deeper and more enduring.
