#shonibare

Yinka Shonibare is an established voice in discourses on identity and immigration, his works often exploring his own, self described 'postcolonial hybrid' relationship with his cultural identity. This particular piece is an installation of 6,328 books, covered in Dutch Wax print.

The spines of 2,700 of the books have printed, in gold, the names of first and second generation immigrants to Britain, as well as a small number of infamous immigration opposers, including Nigel Farage. The piece serves as a celebration of immigrants and immigration, placing them on an even level with the classic libraries that are a common sight in British academic circles and therefore giving highbrow value to their lived experiences. The work also contains a study space with tablets linked to the website representing the piece, allowing viewers to interact with the individual stories of those named. Shonibare aims to provoke discussion and reflection of British culture and notions of identity, ensuring that these stories are considered as valid to the British identity as those from non-immigrants.

Shonibare also makes the interesting and initially jarring choice to include the names of those in vocal opposition to immigration, recognising the contemporaneity of the conversation and the nuances within it. This is repeated through the use of the Dutch Wax print, a common fixture in his works, simultaneously a symbol of cultural heritage and colonialism, drawing this conversation to the forefront of his pieces and once again exploring the fragility of the concept of fixed identity.