Liverpool Biennial 2023 Confronts City's Slave Trade Legacy Through Art and Healing
The 12th Liverpool Biennial, titled 'UMoya: The Sacred Return of Lost Things' and curated by Khanyisile Mbongwa, explores the city's involvement in the transatlantic slave trade through various installations and performances across thirteen venues, including Tate Liverpool and FACT, until September 17, 2023. Significant sites comprise the Cotton Exchange, the gardens of St Nicholas' church, and the docklands. Highlighted works feature Raisa Kabir's performance at Stanley Dock, Belinda Kazeem-Kamiński's video piece at FACT, Torkwase Dyson's charcoal structures at Tate Liverpool, and Binta Diaw's mud replica of a slave ship at the Tobacco Warehouse. Joyful moments are also present, such as Nicholas Galanin's film at Bluecoat and Rahima Gambo's installation at Open Eye Gallery.
Key facts
- 12th Liverpool Biennial titled 'UMoya: The Sacred Return of Lost Things'
- Curated by Khanyisile Mbongwa, a Capetown-based sangoma
- Runs through September 17, 2023 across thirteen Liverpool venues
- Addresses Liverpool's history in the transatlantic slave trade
- Features site-specific works at locations like Cotton Exchange and docklands
- Includes artists Raisa Kabir, Belinda Kazeem-Kamiński, Torkwase Dyson, Francis Offman, Binta Diaw, Melanie Manchot, Nicholas Galanin, Rahima Gambo
- Binta Diaw's 'Chorus of Soil' is a 1:1 mud slave ship with 130 shoots for Zong Massacre victims
- Khanyisile Mbongwa asks 'Have we learned to tend to the wound?'
Entities
Artists
- Raisa Kabir
- Belinda Kazeem-Kamiński
- Khanyisile Mbongwa
- Ranti Bam
- Torkwase Dyson
- Francis Offman
- Binta Diaw
- Melanie Manchot
- Nicholas Galanin
- Rahima Gambo
- Abell
- Eric Garner
- George Floyd
- Stephanie Gavan
Institutions
- Liverpool Biennial
- Tate Liverpool
- FACT
- Bluecoat
- Open Eye Gallery
- Cotton Exchange
- St Nicholas' church
- Tobacco Warehouse
- ArtReview
Locations
- Liverpool
- United Kingdom
- Stanley Dock
- Capetown
- South Africa
- Rwanda
- Belgium