In celebration of Black History Month Hoxton 253 and Demif Gallery are proud to present Bending Culture.

Bending Culture is a group exhibition by eleven artists from Africa and those in the diaspora who are all exploring their direct and indirect impact on their surroundings.
The exhibition follows a journey of individuals who are questioning daily activities in an iconoclastic manner which in result alternates the perception of reality.

The questions asked by these artists surround topics such multiculturalism, identity, gender and blackness. The exhibition explores how these artists are creating an environment to express a different discourse and a space for dialogue and understanding.

As the world becomes more interconnected, questions about identity, multiculturalism and institutionalism are becoming the forefront of various discussions. Cherished beliefs and institutions or established values, practices and images are criticised or assertively rejected.

Issues such as racism in the light of the murder of George Floyd have resonate globally and has open debates about what it means to be black and how blackness interacts with its surroundings. Regarding the latter, one element that is often overlooked in these discussions is the fact that these topics and issues have always been present. It has been contemporaneous from small acts like writing poems to global demonstrations.

In this exhibition, the focus will be on how African artists and those in the diaspora have been questioning various topics that relate to their identity and how they are contributing to a cultural shift in terms of understanding and appreciation. The exposition explores experiences of artists in Africa, their experiences, the beauty and challenges of their surrounding and what their deep-seated thoughts are and what actions they are taking in order to impact their environment.

The show also focuses on artists living in the wider diaspora and the exhibition will highlight their journey to integration in a multicultural society.

RSVP for the opening here

NB: Please select your preferred time slot, ​each booking allows visitors up to 30 minutes in the gallery, with only 15 people maximum in attendance.​

The exhibition is open from Thursday 22nd – Sunday 25th October 2020.

Header Image Credit: Claudy Khan With an African (DR of Congo), European (Belgium) and American (Brazil) background, Claudy Khan is a modern and contemporary African artist.  Trained visual artist from the Fine Art school of Kinshasa (1974-1978) and architect from School of Architecture of Nantes (1979-1984), his rich and varied cultural heritage is reflected in his work and felt in his artistic quest that remains motley, multi-faceted and even suprasensible.