Ground breaking art project 'The World Reimagined' will bring a trail of globe sculptures to Bristol
Bristol artist Michele Curtis in front of her Delores Campbell mural, one of her Seven Saints of St Pauls series – photo: courtesy of Michele Curtis
The national art education project The World Reimagined has a clear and momentous objective: “to transform how we understand the Transatlantic Trade in Enslaved Africans and its impact on all of us”.
Seeking to give voice to the untold, misrepresented stories of our shared history, the initiative calls for “honesty, empathy and grace” as we find ourselves at “a historic moment for racial justice”.
Central to the project is a Journey of Discovery, broken down into nine themes designed to help revisit and recalibrate our understanding of our past, present and future.
This journey is being explored across dedicated trails in seven host cities in the UK – Bristol amongst them. The trails are intended to be walking tours, lasting 90-120 minutes.
Over the course of each one, participants will come across 10 Globe sculptures: one reflecting each of the thematic strands of the journey, and a final Globe created in partnership with community groups in every respective city.
Sat on their bases, the fibreglass sculptures are 1.4m in diameter and 1.7m tall. They were designed by artist Yinka Shonibare CBE, whose decision to utilise a Globe was made specifically to emphasise the geographic nature, and world-changing impact, of the Transatlantic Slave Trade.
Artists from across the UK answered an Open Call to render the sculptures with their own designs, aiming to represent themes of the journey, from ‘Mother Africa’ to ‘The Reality of Being Enslaved, and ‘Still We Rise’.
Schools participating in the programme, including Orchard School and Parson Street Primary in Bristol have also created ‘Learning Globes’ in their own personal journeys of discovery around identity and racial justice.
Contributing local artists are Michele Curtis, Felix FLX Braun, 3Dom, Godfried Donkor, Adam Grose, Bandele Iyapo, Emma Blake Morsi, Oshii, and Jasmine Thompson.
Main photo: Michele Curtis, one of the Seven Saints of St Pauls memorial murals – photo: boomsatsuma
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