Forme Femine presents Collect Call//Diaspora Dial, a virtual art exhibition to confront the limitations on how feminity is portrayed by African artists. The event takes place on Tuesday, December 1st, 2020 from 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM WAT.
The exhibition places artists of African descent in dialogue with viewers in Germany, UK and the USA on the subjects of culture and technological access. They invite the perspectives of emerging and established artists from different African geographies and belief systems, to explore new ways of engaging with femininity as a topic and as a concept to redefine and expand in relation to technology and the future.
Collect Call//Diaspora Dial draws from late 20th century afro-feminist artists who pushed for self-representation in the art world, including “Where We At: Black Women Artists” (founded 1971, New York), the first known group show of black women artists worldwide. As with Adéagbo at the turn of the century, afro-feminist artists have long acknowledged the power in ownership over art from African and feminine identities.
Collective Call//Diaspora Dial welcomes artists to portray femininity across different social angles and multiple ideas of aesthetic appeal. Exploring these expressions of femininity from all perspectives, artists engage in diverse media for this exhibition, which will be placed on a globally accessible digital platform. This concept connects to the idea of the ‘collect call’, appraising the interwoven nature of technological enhancements and narrative ownership, as well as the transition to digital media/platform. In the late 20th century, collect calls could be made from, in principle, any public pay phone in the world. The individual who makes the call offers the other person the privilege to listen from a distance, addressing the imbalances of resources and access.
This collective call across the diaspora reflects on how cultural and artistic resources are transferred and restricted across oceans and people. Collective Call//Diaspora Dial tests the boundaries of distance and proximity, employing the virtual as a mode for open exchange between Africa and the Western world. While intentionally focused on black feminine form and substance, Collective Call//Diaspora Dial features work by artists across genders with ties to Africa.
They are supported by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom!
For further information and to apply, visit: https://www.eventbrite.de/e/collect-call-diaspora-dial-tickets-123315057657
