commentary – The Cultural Exposé http://www.theculturalexpose.co.uk A blog from a lifestyle journo covering culture, food and style in London and beyond. Mon, 23 Jul 2018 21:50:47 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 http://www.theculturalexpose.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/cropped-logo_2017-32x32.jpg commentary – The Cultural Exposé http://www.theculturalexpose.co.uk 32 32 Five Dope Tracks is a curation of dope music, five tracks at a time. Check out the monthly playlist each month on Spotify. commentary – The Cultural Exposé clean episodic commentary – The Cultural Exposé megerecooper@gmail.com megerecooper@gmail.com (commentary – The Cultural Exposé) The Five Dope Tracks music podcast commentary – The Cultural Exposé http://www.theculturalexpose.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/powerpress/five_dope_tracks_podcast_cover.jpg http://www.theculturalexpose.co.uk What we’ve been up to… Tar Baby at The Vault Festival http://www.theculturalexpose.co.uk/arts-culture/what-weve-been-up-to-tar-baby-at-the-vault-festival/ http://www.theculturalexpose.co.uk/arts-culture/what-weve-been-up-to-tar-baby-at-the-vault-festival/#comments Mon, 15 Feb 2016 08:39:00 +0000 http://www.theculturalexpose.co.uk/?p=11308 I don’t know about you, but I’m loving the conversation about race at the moment. Well, technically, I’m loving the way people are freaking out over Beyonce’s Formation video, in the same way they were freaking out about Dear White People two years ago, in the same way they were freaking out ten years ago […]

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]]> I don’t know about you, but I’m loving the conversation about race at the moment. Well, technically, I’m loving the way people are freaking out over Beyonce’s Formation video, in the same way they were freaking out about Dear White People two years ago, in the same way they were freaking out ten years ago when old Kanye said George Bush didn’t care about black people, during the live TV appeal for Hurricane Katrina victims. Speaking of: it’s funny how Queen Bey has brought us back to Katrina 11 years later, proving that the “conversation” is not only still important, but can’t be ignored – even if you dress it up in a glossy, expensive video.

In the case of Tar Baby, a one-woman show by New York comedienne Desiree Birch, the conversation masquerades as a carnival show. There’s music, games and of course, an elephant in the room. And for people uncomfortable with discussing racism, there’s also a false sense of security that allows Birch to address that metaphorical mammal head on by touching on slavery, capitalism, white privilege, black stereotypes, black female stereotypes, the faux pas of touching afro hair and the Black Lives Matter movement with little tact or remorse. But she’s so clever and witty about it, you can’t help but love her at the end. Or at least, I did. And I’ve got a couple of Race Cards to prove it.

Post show mementos 😂😂😂 #mightjustusethese #race #politics #humour #foodforthought @tarbabytheplay

A photo posted by Matilda (@megerecooper) on

It’s just a pity last night was the final show at  The Vault Festival. I don’t know if Tar Baby is coming back to London, but I know it needs to. This satirical commentary on racism is just what we need right now, because it’s got the guts to make sure we’re all just that little bit more informed about racism, in case we didn’t get the memo.

For more deets, check out www.tarbabytheplay.com.

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]]> http://www.theculturalexpose.co.uk/arts-culture/what-weve-been-up-to-tar-baby-at-the-vault-festival/feed/ 30 Something you should see… Hannah Höch at Whitechapel Gallery http://www.theculturalexpose.co.uk/arts-culture/something-you-should-see-hannah-hoch-at-whitechapel-gallery/ http://www.theculturalexpose.co.uk/arts-culture/something-you-should-see-hannah-hoch-at-whitechapel-gallery/#comments Wed, 15 Jan 2014 11:00:11 +0000 http://www.theculturalexpose.co.uk/?p=8485 Girls may run the world (or so says Beyoncé), but back in Hannah Höch‘s day, an artist like her would be lucky to get a thumbs up for her talent: it wasn’t until the late 70s that the accidental It Girl with the bobbed hair was recognised for her contribution to the Berlin Dada movement […]

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]]> Girls may run the world (or so says Beyoncé), but back in Hannah Höch‘s day, an artist like her would be lucky to get a thumbs up for her talent: it wasn’t until the late 70s that the accidental It Girl with the bobbed hair was recognised for her contribution to the Berlin Dada movement in exhibitions in Paris and Berlin. But better late than never: as the co-pioneer of the photomontage with mentor/partner Raoul Hausman, her radical work is finally receiving the attention it deserves this month with the opening of her first major British exhibition at the Whitechapel Gallery.

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Indian Dancer, 1930. From an Ethnographic Museum

Featuring over 100 pieces of work, the show recognises her career from 1910 – 1970, presenting satirical, feminist and though-provoking cut and paste pieces which  questioned the concepts of beauty, relationships, art-making and the New Woman in a post-World War I Germany. Her experience of working in the fashion industry combined with her rebellious, anti-art sentiment led to her produciing a number of notable works with themes that even resonate today. This includes the teasing Heads of State (pictured below) and High Finance, which presents the relationship between bankers and the army during the economic crisis in Europe in ironic fashion.

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Heads of State, 1918-20. Photo: Collection of IFA, Stuttgart

Though her male contemporaries George Grosz, Theo van Doesburg and Kurt Schwitters may have got the limelight over the years, this is a rare chance to see the work of a radical artist that shows what women can do when they take charge. Fellas, take note.

Hannah Höch at Whitechapel Gallery is on until March 23.  For more info, visit: www.whitechapelgallery.org/exhibitions/hannah-hch

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