Identity Politics

Ryan Hughes Projects is adopting curatorial practices as a research methodology to form a part of a major new body of work titled db8 idntty. The first project of this new body of research is a night of performance and live art titled Identity Politics; Wikipedia defines Identity Politics by saying;

The term identity politics has been used in political and academic discourse in the United States since the 1970s. One aim of identity politics has been to empower those feeling oppressed to articulate their felt oppression in terms of their own experience—a process of consciousness-raising that distinguishes identity politics from the liberal conception of politics as driven by individual self-interest.
Identity politics is a phenomenon that arose first at the radical margins of liberal democratic societies in which human rights are recognized, and the term is not usually used to refer to dissident movements within single-party or authoritarian states.

In relation to contemporary artistic production it would seem that the most efficient method of exploring the politics of the self is to utilise performance or at least performance based processes, as the self becomes the very material of the work. In relation to contemporary curatorial practices it would seem that the most efficient method of putting together a show exploring the politics of the self is to utilise existing personal connections, after all, our friends, colleagues and neighbours help in defining the self.

So Identity Politics, the first piece of curatorial work from Ryan Hughes Projects gathers artists he has exhibited with, shared studios with, partied with or studied at the same institution as; whom make work which in some way explores the self and has a live or preformative aspect. To encourage the idea that identities are a short-lived or fluid entity the presentations only last one evening, just long enough to catch a glimpse of each artists practice! The evening will feature work by seven artists and collaborative groups, some of the pieces will last for the duration of the event and others will be programmed to give them space to breathe.

Artists Include:

Tara Beth Roleston
Lisa Waldron
MSFAC (Margaret Street Free Arts Council)
Ryan Hughes
Birmingham International Transient Camp