The Accursed Share exhibition explores colonial debt and global economic violence through contemporary art

There's an exhibition called The Accursed Share happening at the Talbot Rice Gallery in Edinburgh from March 17 to May 27. It delves into how debt and economic violence have roots in colonial history. Notable works include Sammy Baloji's untitled installation (2018-2023), which features mortar shells adorned with flowers and filled with plants from the Democratic Republic of Congo, symbolizing copper mining used in Allied military efforts. Cian Dayrit's textile piece, Valley of Dispossession (2021), tackles land issues in the Philippines, while Lubaina Himid's 2004 work, Naming the Money, portrays life-sized figures of forced African migrants. There’s also Marwa Arsanios’s film about agricultural commons in Lebanon and Hana Miletić’s handwoven bandages. The title of the exhibition nods to Georges Bataille's 1949 critique of colonial economic dependencies. The artworks connect past resource extraction to today's global markets, with ongoing copper mining in the Belgian Congo. Hanna von Goeler’s Migration series (2015-2023) features old banknotes with migratory birds, suggesting new ways of trading. Other contributions come from the terrao group and Goldin+Senneby, although their connection to the debt theme is less clear.