Luminocity: Shiraz Bayjoo

Visual artist

5th Edition Dhaka Art Summit, 2020 + Art Night London, 2019 Curated by Diana Cambell Betancourt + Helen Nisbet

Sgwrs Artist: Shiraz Bayjoo Shiraz Bayjoo and Brook Andrew, Ngaay – Konesans 22.07.2022 – 4.09.2022 film by PhotoManJohan Shiraz Bayjoo’s practice explores the legacy of colonialism across the Indian Ocean region, as well as its complex histories of slavery, migration, and conquest, using a variety of media including video, painting, and photography. His research-based practice is frequently informed by in-depth investigations into the legacies of empire and colonialism. Bayjoo’s large scale installation, Searching for Libertalia, weaves together three historical narratives about the island of Madagascar: its history of piracy with the story of Captain Misson, slave trading by the French East India Company from the 17th to the 19th centuries, and the Malagasy fight for independence from France’s Vichy government during WWII. Searching for Libertalia also highlights liberation and anti-colonial movements in African post colonies, as well as their relevance to contemporary race and identity issues. Bayjoo’s work, a fictitious archive of history and narrative, serves as a foundation for discussion of more contemporary issues. Bayjoo examines the dynamics of post-independence, wondering what happened to the places that had to build themselves from what Empire had left behind. Glynn Vivian provided support for Bayjoo to write script for Searching for Libertalia as part of an artist-in-residence project in 2018 and was initially commissioned by Nottingham New Art Exchange. Mae arfer Shiraz Bayjoo yn archwilio etifeddiaeth gwladychiaeth ar draws ardal Cefnfor India, yn ogystal â’i hanes cymhleth o gaethwasiaeth, mudo a goresgyniad, gan ddefnyddio amrywiaeth o gyfryngau megis fideos, paentiadau a ffotograffiaeth. Mae ei arfer sy’n seiliedig ar ymchwil yn cael ei lywio’n aml gan archwiliadau manwl i etifeddiaeth ymerodraethau a gwladychiaeth. Mae ei osodiad ar raddfa fawr, Searching for Libertalia, yn cynnwys tri naratif hanesyddol am ynys Madagasgar: ei hanes môr-ladrata gyda hanes Capten Misson, y fasnach gaethweision ar ran y French East India Company rhwng y 17eg a’r 19eg ganrif a’r frwydr Falagasaidd dros annibyniaeth o lywodraeth Vichy Ffrainc yn ystod yr Ail Ryfel Byd. Mae Searching for Libertalia hefyd yn tanlinellu hanes mudiadau rhyddid a gwrthwladychiaeth mewn ôl-drefedigaethau Affricanaidd, yn ogystal â’u perthynas â materion hil a hunaniaeth gyfoes. Mae gwaith Bayjoo, archif ffugiol o hanes a naratif, yn gweithredu fel sail ar gyfer trafod materion mwy cyfoes. Mae Bayjoo yn archwilio deinameg ôl-annibyniaeth ac yn meddwl tybed beth ddigwyddodd i’r lleoedd yr oedd yn rhaid iddynt ailadeiladu eu hunain o’r hyn a adawyd gan yr ymerodraeth. Rhoddodd Glynn Vivian gymorth i Bayjoo wrth ysgrifennu’r sgript ar gyfer, Searching for Libertalia, fel rhan o brosiect artist preswyl yn 2018 ac fe’i comisiynwyd yn wreiddiol gan Nottingham New Art Exchange.

Seminar One: Exploring Colonial Conversations This seminar explored encounters between Britain and South Asia via the cross-cultural and multi-disciplinary practice of 3 artists. India-based performance artist Nikhil Chopra, Wales-based photographer Peter Finnemore and Mauritian Shiraz Bayjoo explored themes of identity, migration, colonisation and collaboration, paying particular attention to Swansea’s current status as a City of Sanctuary. Shiraz Bayjoo’s practice draws on personal and public archives to address issues of cultural memory, nationhood, and the challenges of establishing a collective identity within a globalised post- colonial context. Working across video, painting and photography, Bayjoo explores the legacy of colonialism across the Indian Ocean region and its complex histories of slavery, migrations and conquest. Enquiring into the independence movements of African post-colonies, and the formation of Afro-Indo identities across the Western Indian Ocean, Bayjoo creates multiple layers within his installations, often employing the poetics of language to unpack these complex trauma histories. Pushing back against the reductionist legacies of shame traditionally associated with emancipated communities, instead speaking of strength and resilience in the imagining of new identities and futures. _____ Seminar Un: Archwilio Sgyrsiau Trefedigaethol Roedd y seminar hwn yn archwilio cyfarfodydd rhwng Prydain a De Asia drwy arfer draws-ddiwylliannol ac amlddisgyblaethol 3 artist. Archwiliodd yr artist perfformio o India, Nikhil Chopra, y ffotograffydd o Gymru, Peter Fenimore Finnemore a Mauritian Shiraz Bayjoo themâu hunaniaeth, ymfudo, gwladychu a chydweithio, gan dalu sylw penodol i statws cyfredol Abertawe fel Dinas Noddfa. Mae arferion Shiraz Bayjoo yn defnyddio archifau cyhoeddus a phersonol i fynd i'r afael â phroblemau sy’n ymwneud ag atgofion diwylliannol, syniadau o genedligrwydd a'r her o sefydlu hunaniaeth dorfol mewn cyd-destun ô ldrefedigaethol byd-eang. Trwy ddefnyddio fideos, paentio a ffotograffiaeth, mae Bayjoo yn archwilio etifeddiaeth gwladychiaeth ar draws ardal Cefnfor India a'i hanes cymhleth o gaethwasiaeth, mudo a goresgyniadau. Wrth iddo ymholi i fudiadau annibyniaeth cyn-drefedigaethau Affricanaidd, a ffurfiad hunaniaethau Affro-Indo ar draws Cefnfor India'r Gorllewin, mae Bayjoo yn creu nifer o haenau o fewn ei osodiadau, ac mae'n aml yn defnyddio barddoneg iaith i esbonio'r hanesion trawma cymhleth hyn. Mae'n ymladd yn erbyn yr etifeddiaethau rhydwythiadol o gywilydd sy'n gysylltiedig â chymunedau rhyddfreiniedig yn draddodiadol, ac yn lle hynny’n trafod cryfder a gwydnwch wrth ddychmygu hunaniaethau a dyfodol gwahanol.

Shiraz Bayjoo is a contemporary multi-disciplinary artist who works with film, painting, photography, performance, and installation. His research-based practice focuses on personal and public archives addressing cultural memory and postcolonial nationhood in a manner that challenges dominant cultural narratives. Bayjoo has exhibited with the Institute of International Visual Arts, London;...

Richard Martin, Director of Education and Public Programmes at Whitechapel Gallery, talks to artist Shiraz Bayjoo about his new public artwork in Globe Town, East London.

On colonisation, landscapes and living collections

Contemporary artist Shiraz Bayjoo discusses the influence of Turner's 'The Fighting Temeraire' on his own practice, as part of our Unexpected Views series. Unexpected views are new monthly conversations between our curators and some of the most important cultural practitioners of today. Supported by Hiscox Contemporary Art Partner of the National Gallery. Subscribe to our channel and never miss a video: http://bit.ly/1HrNTFd Follow us on social media: Like the National Gallery on Facebook: https://en-gb.facebook.com/thenationalgallery/ Follow the National Gallery on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NationalGallery Follow the National Gallery on Instagram: https://instagram.com/nationalgallery Help keep the museum accessible for everyone by supporting us here: https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/support-us The National Gallery houses the national collection of paintings in the Western European tradition from the 13th to the 19th centuries. The museum is free of charge and open 361 days per year, daily between 10.00 am - 6.00 pm and on Fridays between 10.00 am - 9.00 pm. Trafalgar Square, London, WC2N 5DN https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk