Back-a-Yard Swag
Multiple dates

Back-a-Yard Swag

By Van Gogh House London

Artist Dinu Li materialises an overlooked but important British history of blues parties in the homes of Caribbean communities.

Location

Van Gogh House

87 Hackford Road London SW9 0RE United Kingdom

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Highlights

  • In person

About this event

Van Gogh House presents 'Back-a-Yard Swag', a solo exhibition of sculpture, assemblage and music by artist Dinu Li. The exhibition materialises an overlooked but important British history of blues parties in the homes of Caribbean communities, kept alive until the late 1980s.

The works center on the memory of one specific all-nighter Li attended, where the playlist included tracks produced by descendants of Chinese indentured labourers in Jamaica. Bass, echoes and reverb vibrate across the rooms of Van Gogh House, interspersed with the sounds of Chinese tribal mountain songs, a sampling of mid 1960’s rocksteady beats and a dub playlist.

The objects and materials brought together by Li, form a structure of new familiarity, acting as cultural agents for polyphonic multiplicity.

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Organized by

Van Gogh House London

Organised by Van Gogh House London, the Festival of ENCOUNTERS is a free-to-attend, large-scale event, featuring up to 40 talks and other kinds of encounters, by artists, writers, activists, musicians and thinkers in venues across the northern end of Brixton. This includes not only Van Gogh House, but also galleries, parks and community centres and other exciting venues including non-traditional spaces such as cafes, and a co-op workshop space. The Festival is inspired by serendipitous encounters with interesting people in unexpected places, bringing together exciting voices, thoughts and ideas to and from Brixton.

Van Gogh House London is very grateful to Lambeth Council for their support in helping us bring this inaugural Festival of ENCOUNTERS to fruition.

Free
Multiple dates