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New Work: Making East London
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The Long Goodbye, Carrie Mae Weems
A new commission for V&A East’s New Work, exploring the theme Making East London
Artist Carrie Mae Weems believes ‘love stories are embedded in every migration story — those who we leave behind, those who we meet upon arrival, and what allows a new place to begin to feel like home.’
In this film, Weems traces how bodies of water, from their sweeping currents to soft tides, have shaped us, enabling transatlantic migration and continuing to impact communities in east London and beyond. The work explores the creation of new identities and artistic forms by the immigrants who have relocated across oceans, both voluntarily and by force.
Weems celebrates the cultural diversity that connects and underpins the foundations of contemporary cities. Transcending fear and adversity, water and networks of migration are the fuel of global creativity.
Edited by Carrie Mae Weems, Atagun Ilhan, and Yao Xu. This commission has been supported by the Terra Foundation for American Art
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Header image: David Parry