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Following a huge social media campaign as well as more than 200 demonstrators taking to the streets of London — a controversial art exhibition featuring Black actors in chains and cages was canceled.
Exhibit B, by South African director Brett Bailey, is a project based on the 19th century phenomenon of the human zoo by which Black slaves were displayed as museum objects to white Europeans and Americans. The exhibition intended to tell stories of African slaves and asylum hunters under British colonialism with the help of Black actors in a series of live scenes.
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The 12-scene exhibit included a Black woman shackled to a bed and a Black man in a metal mask, which Bailey stated was designed to recreate the horrors of slavery—the “human zoo phenomenon.”
The show had been featured in 12 cities prior to coming to London and has received positive reviews from critics. However, Sara Myers, an activist from Birmingham, believes the human zoo is an “ugly stain on European history.” Meyers launched a “Boycott the Human Zoo” campaign, which garnered international attention.
On Tuesday, more than 200 demonstrators took to underground tunnels by Waterloo station. As a result, London’s Barbican Centre was forced to cancel the show.
Bailey defended himself via Facebook post yesterday. Part of it reads:
“EXHIBIT B is not primarily a work about colonial-era violence. Its main focus is current racist and xenophobic policies in the EU and how these have evolved from the scientifically legitimised and state-sanctioned racism of the late 19th century. These policies do not exist in historical isolation. They have been shaped over centuries. The dehumanizing stereotypes of Otherness instilled in the consciousness of our ancestors have been transmitted subconsciously and insidiously through the ages. EXHIBIT B demands that we interrogate representations that to so many people still appear innocent.”
A statement from the gallery reads:
“Last night as Exhibit B was opening at the Vaults it became impossible for us to continue with the show because of the extreme nature of the protest and the serious threat to the safety of performers, audiences and staff. Given that protests are scheduled for future performances of Exhibit B we have had no choice but to cancel all performances of the piece.
“We find it profoundly troubling that such methods have been used to silence artists and performers and that audiences have been denied the opportunity to see this important work. Exhibit B raises, in a serious and responsible manner, issues about racism; it has previously been shown in 12 cities, involved 150 performers and been seen by around 25,000 people with the responses from participants, audiences and critics alike being overwhelmingly positive.”
When it was announced the show and future performances were cancelled, #boycottthehumanzoo protestors expressed their enthusiasm via Twitter.
Victory for #boycottthehumanzoo campaign @boycotthumanzoo @saraamandamyers @BARACUK @LeeJasper pic.twitter.com/QFifPMFIGD
— zita holbourne (@zitaactivist) September 23, 2014
Congratulations….to the PEOPLE!!! The disgusting Human Zoo “exhibition” is seemingly cancelled #boycottthehumanzoo pic.twitter.com/pgu3fX3REn
— Jason Roberts (@JasonRoberts30) September 23, 2014
The post Exhibit B ‘Human Zoo’ Slave Exhibition Canceled in UK After Protests appeared first on Clutch Magazine.