Black History Online: A programme of events from RCASU

An online exhibition launching this month on the Student’s Union website will be added to regularly throughout the month, encouraging audiences to return regularly to dip and dive into work, engaging via a range of themes.

Contributors have also been asked to include a video component alongside their submission, in which they will discuss their practice. ‘We’ve asked contributors to address questions such as, but not limited to: What has the pandemic revealed to you about your practice and its relationship to both digital and physical space? But also as a black artist what do you hope your practice brings to BIPOC audiences?’ said Lisbon.

Throughout the course of planning this show Lisbon says he has been considering, ‘the black post-modern, and the role of the black figure in identifying black art. The show poses the question, “now that we are well acquainted with the black figure and his presence in the art world, can we spend more time exploring the black experience?”’. Lisbon continued, ‘Hopefully, this collection of source material and references can help viewers start to answer these questions for themselves. If not, at least audiences will leave with clever and original insights from black artists who have called the RCA home.’

There will be an orbiting programme of live events to coincide with the exhibition which will include new work and live discussions from current students and alumni hosted on Zoom and shared via the RCASU website and social channels.

Alongside this central online programme the Student’s Union are also presenting a series of talks covering topics such as the Windrush Generations, the Black Lives Matter Movement and a discussion on what it means to be a black artist at the RCA.