Black Atlantic Revisited

Lecture evening with Shaheen Merali, independent curator and author, former head of exhibitions, film and new media at the Haus der Kulturen der Welt in Berlin, where he realised various exhibitions including The Black Atlantic;Dreams and Trauma, Moving images and the Promised Lands. With Kitty Zijlmans, Professor in the History and Theory of Contemporary Sculptural Art at Leiden University; Leon Wainwright, reader in History of Art with a focus on issues around art and agency in Trinidad, Guyana and other locations in the Caribbean area.

Read out

In 1993, Paul Gilroy wrote the pioneering publication The Black Atlantic, in which he claimed that there is no specific African, Caribbean or British culture, but rather a ‘Black Atlantic Culture’ whose themes and techniques transcend ethnicity and tradition. Gilroy’s book has become a significant source of inspiration for many writers, artists, theoreticians and curators. What is the current perspective on his ideas and how does the notion of The Black Atlantic relate to the Dutch present, in which migration issues seem more central than the colonial past?

Location: De Unie, Mauritsweg 34-35, Rotterdam
Reservations required: De Unie +31 (0)10 433 58 33 or via reserveren@deunie.nu