Stella Odunlami, artistI chose to take part in Exhibit B because I was inspired by the premise of the work. I was to play the role of Found Object Number 2, a 25-year-old Nigerian asylum seeker. At my audition, director Brett Bailey clearly set out his intentions, explaining how the piece was a damning critique of the horrors of the systematic dehumanisation of a people that occurred throughout the era of the European empires; and the far-reaching effects that continue to haunt us. I knew immediately that it was an important production.
Those against the work claim it is simply another exploitation of the narrative of the black community that desecrates the memory of our ancestors. This simply is not true. It honours them, restoring humanity to the faceless, acknowledging the centuries of atrocities upon which Europe is built. It denies the spectator and the performer the luxury of hiding. It forces us to examine the darkest corners of our mind. It is brutal, unforgiving and unapologetic. I decided, as an educated black artist, that it told a story that should be shared with the world, but sadly that will no longer be the case. My freedom of expression was taken the moment the protesters decided to attempt to storm the venue, causing it to be evacuated and deemed unsafe. It was at that moment that the protesters retained their right to free speech and I had mine taken away.
From the Edinburgh production
Exhibit B lies somewhere between performance and exhibition. 13tableau vivant installations featuring black performers look at the themes of racism, 'othering' and the colonial history of Europe in Africa.
This deeply moving work, researched and created by South African artist Brett Bailey, gazes into the hidden Curiosity Cabinets of European racism. It focuses on the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when Europe's powers scrambled for Africa's rich resources, and the continent's scientists formulated the pseudo-scientific racial theories that continue to warp perceptions, with horrific consequences.
Drawing on the 'human zoos' and ethnographic displays so popular during this period, this site-specific exhibit places Africans and African asylum-seekers in display cases, unpacking the histories, and turning the gaze back on Europeans.
"terrible and magnificent...should run for several months so that all government ministers and scholars can attend" - Le Soir
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