As a part of this city-wide exhibition the Durham Miners’ Association proudly hosts three art installations at Miners’ Hall which reflect on situations in Zimbabwe, Nigeria and South Asia and which explore issues of human rights and migration in relation to climate change. Dave Hopper the General Secretary of Durham Miners’ Association says, “We want to be able to reflect our concerns with pressing humanitarian issues and conflicts of our time across the world, and the exhibition is a part of that.”
Refining Memory (single screen, upstairs landing)
a Platform film created by Judy Price and Andrew Conio
In 2005, for the 10th anniversary of the executions of Nigerian writer and campaigner Ken Saro-Wiwa and his 8 colleagues, Platform commissioned a half-hour film on the devastating impacts of big oil in Nigeria, specially Shell. The film honours Saro-Wiwa’s struggle to get justice for Ogoniland and Niger Delta communities impacted by Shell’s legacies of oil pollution.
Artist Sokari Douglas Camp CBE
To commemorate 20 years after his murder, Platform re-present this film alternating with a new short film including interviews of international artist Sokari Douglas Camp CBE and Ogoni campaigner Celestine AkpoBari, updating the campaign for justice that still continues.
“Once again we are reminded that the violent geographies produced by oil production are made possible through trillions in state subsidies. Ken Saro-Wiwa’s death must be remembered.” Dr Andrew Baldwin, Geography Dept, Durham University.
African Fragments (multiple TVs and acrylic, foyer area)
by Tracey Zengeni with Nigel Hulett
co-produced by digital artist Maya Chowdhry
Stop-motion animation techniques are used to layer painting over documentary sequences by film-maker Nigel Hulett that investigate climate change in Zimbabwe, attempting to piece together the Zimbabwe that Tracey feels is falling apart. The animations converse with each other on screens of redundant analogue televisions discarded by the consumerism that fuels climate change.
The Level (video projection, council chamber)
by Mazaher
co-produced by digital artist Maya Chowdhry
directing and artistic support by Kooj Chuhan
The Level dramatises verbatim dialogue from interviews conducted in acutely affected parts of the world by the UK Climate Change and Migration Coalition. By presenting the testimonies in English using universal characters intercut with imagery of global flooding, Mazaher develops an affective intensity and suggests that this can happen to any one of us. Watch the following extract from this art-work:
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Presented as a part of the city-wide Footprint Modulation exhibition by Metaceptive Projects and Media, in partnership with the international conference ‘Human Migration and the Environment: Futures, Politics and Invention’ at Durham University 28th June – 1st July 2015 www.durhamconference.eu
