The Place Is Here, Nottingham Contemporary 4 February – 30 April 2017

On Friday 4^th February 2017, Nottingham Contemporary opened its doors to the public for their first major exhibition of the year called ‘The Place is Here’. The exhibition explores the pivotal decade for culture and politics of the 1980s with responses from the Black Arts Movement in Britain. Each of the 4 rooms exhibited and projected the work made and conversations which took place  during this period from the perspectives of writers, artists, collectives, photographers and more. Artists include: Sonia Boyce, Lubaina Hamid, Keith Piper, Martina Attille/Sankofa collective, Eddie Chambers and more.

June Givanni Pan African Archive was present within the exhibition, having an archive installation in the People’s Account room in one of the main spaces. Showing a collection of work including materials and a small poster display relating to GLC’s Third Eye Festival 1983. Four framed posters of the Anti Racist murals by black artists commissioned by the GLC in 1986 were also on display from JGPACA. Archive works on show included Bohemian Noir by Amani Naphtali,  by Third Eye  (Rough Cut) by Imruh Bakari  and  The People’s Account by Ceddo film workshop, In Conversation ‘C.L.R. James and E.P. Thomson’ by Mike Dibb,  animation films A Lesson In History and Black Skin White Masks both by Maybelle Peters. As well as June Givanni Pan African Archive having to space to recall stories from this era, the Archive hosted a programme of four screening films reflecting memories on the decade which relates to present. The programme is called ‘The Time Is Now’.

‘The Place is Here’ closed its door on Sunday 30^th April 2017. The exhibition is due to go on to South London Gallery and middlesborough arts museum.