#ArtThursdays
'WE FACE FORWARD' by GUAP @ V&A
26 AUGUST 2022
For this week's #ArtThursday feature, we're sharing our experience visiting the We Face Forward exhibition, held by youth-led media platform GUAP. The exhibition was a beaming commemoration of the V&A's highly-anticipated Africa Fashion exhibition.
Held as a Pan-African celebration of "next-generation designers, artists, musicians and more" - the event was a museum-wide, celebratory affair featuring music, film screenings, dance workshops and much more.
'We face Forward' brought many like-minded creatives of African heritage together at the V&A to celebrate the rich history of a continent often overlooked by the Western world. Led by many young/up-and-coming creatives, it was a heralding of a new age of art - one which ushers in a much more diverse and evocative perspective of many different Diasporic viewpoints.
Upon entering, there was a live DJ and a packed hall with a bustling crowd. It was clear people were here for a good time. Often times with art exhibitions, the atmosphere can be quiet, relaxed, serious and even a touch stifling. It was clear GUAP had something else new and exciting to offer.
A section of the exhibition which featured some talented choreography by contemporary African dancers in the middle of the hall juxtaposed by the Raphaelite-style ancient paintings.
The 'We Face Forward' exhibition was presented in a variety of different mediums and art forms - all throughout the V&A. It was an amazing experience to see the V&A so transformed. Here is an example of some film work, projected onto the ceiling.
