New exhibition on Commonwealth soldiers during the First World War is coming to Bristol

New exhibition on Commonwealth soldiers during the First World War is coming to Bristol

Posted on: 26 Sep 2022

‘Memesis: African Soldier’ by respected artist and filmmaker John Akomfrah is coming to Bristol Museum & Art Gallery from next weekend.

 

The exhibition will run between Saturday 1 October and Sunday 8 January.

 

The blend of archive and original footage will uncover the often-overlooked story of the Commonwealth soldiers who volunteered to fight in World War One, the world’s most deadly war and one waged by their colonial masters.

 

It is a 'pay what you can' event.

 

 

In this exhibition, Akomfrah incorporates archival photographs of African and Asian soldiers carrying out everyday activities such as digging trenches with original, specially filmed footage imagining the men as they leave their families before heading to an unknown place for an unknown amount of time.

 

The piece will be accompanied by a soundtrack that blends traditional African and Indian music with new compositions, thus allowing Akomfrah to present a multidisciplinary look at an often forgotten, or overlooked, piece of First World War history.

 

Speaking about the exhibition, the artist has said: “The most important thing for me, the takeaway, is that African soldiers fought in this war, that they played a variety of roles in the war as foot soldiers, as carriers. 

“Every facet, every avenue, every job in the war, if you look long enough, you will see someone of either Asian or African origin/heritage in that role.”

 

‘Memesis: African Soldier’ was commissioned by 14–18 NOW, the UK's arts programme for the First World War centenary, and featured in the Imperial War Museum to mark the war’s centenary.

 

The piece’s artist, John Akomfrah, is a greatly respected British-Ghanaian artist whose work often confronts and explores topics such as memory, post-colonialism, temporality, and aesthetics and often explores the experiences of migrant diasporas globally.

Akomfrah’s radical approach to his craft and focus on film and multichannel video installations has helped to establish his reputation as one of the country’s most pioneering filmmakers, making this an exhibition not to miss.

 

‘Memesis: African Soldier’ runs at Bristol Museum and Art Gallery from Saturday 1 October until Sunday 8 January, with entry being pay what you can. Find out more here.

 

To find out what else is coming up at the museum visit the website.

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Article by:

Stanley Gray

Stan is a born and bred Bristolian, recently graduated from studying English Literature in Sheffield. His passions are music and literature and he spends the majority of his time in venues all over the city, immersing himself in Bristol’s alternative music scene. A lifelong Bristol City fan, Stan’s Saturdays are spent watching his team both home and away.