Faisal Hussain
Suspect Objects Suspect Subjects
Centrala Gallery
Birmingham UK,
September 1st to September 14th.
Faisal Hussain launches Suspect Objects and Suspect Subjects at the Centrala Gallery in Digbeth, Birmingham, on September 1st, it scheduled to run until September 16th. Suspect Objects Suspect Subjects is a collection of works that question, highlight and respond to the victimisation of Muslim communities in Birmingham, the UK and around the world.
This from the press release: "The exhibition addresses themes of government policy and monitoring, controlled identities and the cause and effect on individuals and subsequent impact on mental health. The artworks reflect on fear and racism as contemporary social factors, political currency and cultural memes. They target and immerse the viewer to echo the persistent attacks that surround Muslim communities, playing on the navigation of our reality and memory.
The use of advertising, installation, painting, sculpture, still and moving image explore the multi-faceted channels used to influence and fuel prejudice. Juxtapositions question the surreal ‘validity’ of suspicion and evoke humour, personal memory, and the experiences of duality and difference."
I am ancient and the world existed in darkness for ages before me. It's true, however, for a very brief while there, there was some light, it seemed so, some enlightenment, it was exhilarating for us, the world's poor, but it was all too much for the entitled. Now it seems there is a grimly purposive, well organized and coordinated cohort determined to restore to the world the fear that had apparently abated in the previous 20 years in the UK. I wasn't on these streets much for 20 years, and was assured I should come back and everything would be brighter. Oh the fuck well that just wasn't so.
Immediately before I exited the UK, LeeExit it would be called now I guess, I was on a bus in Willesden Green one night and I was sitting near the front of the bus when a couple of middle aged women wearing sari's got on and walked down the bus, a white guy got on a couple of paces behind them and looked at me and said "Fucking Paki's." Just like that, like I'd empathise or whatever I don't know. I never forgot that. I wonder about that guy. Anyway.
Just a couple of weeks ago I was a guest at a fantastic three day wedding and it was damn perfect, all weddings are great for me, the joy! The Suspension of Disbelief! But this one, hundreds of people locked in an organic reclaimed barn for three days, blasted by ancient reggae and sated with food and wine like the Lord would've made, it was the perfect expression of the multicultural, multiethnic Britain that I'd been promised I was returning to.
England in reality is a shit tip and of course people like me need to fess up to our responsibilit our part in that, for not pushing back, for being insular and complacent. For not fighting for people's rights on the bus and for buying into the bullshit about the next door neighbours we don't bother to get to know.
Anyway, Fasial Hussain's Suspect Objects Suspect Subjects is political, it's really saying something, and it's good to look at too. Go along if you can be bothered.
image on this page: Muslamic Raygun by Faisal Hussain
Essential Info
Suspect Objects Suspect People website
Centrala Website
