Difficult Conversations
Difficult Conversations is a series of exhibitions, student mentorships and public conversations reflecting on the UK's involvement in the transatlantic slave trade throughout the Caribbean.
A group of artists from the Caribbean and the UK explored how ancestry and modern society shaped their views on this contentious issue.
As a catalyst to stir new transatlantic conversations, the art challenges and interrogates western exoticism of Caribbean life.
To open up conversations across the waters, Graham Fagen, one of Scotland's most influential artists, travelled to Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago, where he mentored students and hosted public discussions and presentations of his work, The Slave's Lament.
By encouraging his students to explore their personal journeys, Graham attempted to understand the powerful forces that shaped his life and others.
Discovering Routes and Roots
In light of recent debates surrounding cultural appropriation, Graham sought to communicate the journey he took to creating his piece with sensitivity and nuance.
By seeking advice from fellow artists, historians and cultural experts, Graham interrogated the roots which led to him developing his installation as well as new understanding of Afro-Caribbean history.
Graham’s discovery and interrogation of these difficult subjects played a part in opening conversations in the UK and the nation’s involvement in the slave trade.
In turn, his journey provided the tools needed to nurture students' creative instincts, pulling from their own life experiences.
Revisiting the challenging subject of the transatlantic slave trade, the We Have Met Before exhibition gathers contemporary responses by four British and Caribbean artists.
The four artists and the works selected for this exhibition – which include pieces by Graham Fagen, Joscelyn Gardner, Leasho Johnson, and Ingrid Pollard – represent a conversation on the histories of slavery, and its present-day implications.
Each brings a distinctive perspective to this subject area, with work that was created in different locales, different media, and at different points in time.
Meet the artists
Visit the gallery
The exhibition will be touring across the Caribbean at the following venues and dates:
The National Gallery of Jamaica
September 22nd - November 26th 2017
The National Art Gallery of The Bahamas
March 22 - July 29th 2018
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Discover more about the inspirations and methodology behind Difficult Conversations and We Have Met Before by downloading our digital publications.