Black Atlantic Series: Part Three

Main Focus

• Examination of monuments and hidden histories
• Focus on artists like Donald Locke and Hew Locke

Edward Colston Statue

• 2020: Statue of slave trader Edward Colston in Bristol was toppled and thrown into the harbour
• Seen as a moment of racial and social justice
  • Highlights that ideas aren't just theoretical but influence real-world actions
• Reflects the concept of the Black Atlantic where historical events have ongoing political, cultural, and moral implications
• Represents "the empire speaking back" and the response of the children of empire to history of power
• Acts as an acknowledgment of past consequences which are still present today

Role of Artists

• Artists explore the complexities of finance, economy, ethics, culture, identity, and monuments
• Artworks are complex, often raising questions and provoking thought

Hew Locke's "Restoration Colston"

• Work predates the toppling of Colston's statue
• Uses irony: adorns Colston's statue with cheap materials to critique the glorification of such figures
• Prompts questions about the worthiness of commemorated figures
• Emphasizes that historical figures are morally accountable

Donald Locke's "Trophies of Empire"

• Guyanese artist Donald Locke
• Creates disturbing objects symbolizing colonial violence
• Described as totems marking the violence of colonialism
• Questions the power dynamics of colonization

Themes

• The moral implications of history
• The ongoing connection between past and present

Next Episode

• Focus on the afterlives of slavery in contemporary artistic practice