“13 Years”
Samira Farah, Patrick Jonathan and Guled Abdulwasi
14 May → 27 June 2021

Photograph of a 1983 house-party in Sydney, Australia, to welcome touring artist Peter Tosh. Image courtesy of the personal archives of Patrick Jonathan.

13 Years is an exhibition curated by Samira Farah in collaboration with Patrick Jonathan exploring the power of community and independent radio, and provides a small window into Black African political and cultural history in Sydney and Canberra during the 1980s and 1990s.

Drawing from personal history alongside archival research and set against the context of immigration and the anti-apartheid struggle,13 Years forefronts Black sonics within liberation and migration movements of the African diaspora. Samira Farah brings these archives into conversation with contemporary political and cultural movements through artworks, sound, performances and events.

In addition to the archival materials, contemporary artist Guled Abdulwasi presents a moving image work titled The Block; an architectural exploration of the inner-city housing estates in Melbourne.

Throughout the exhibition, public programs and events at West Space function as a critical access point for community members.

Program

lossless.radio Live Stream: community broadcast platform exploring diaspora sounds and Black British pirate radio

Every Friday, May 21 → June 25, 4pm → 6pm @ West Space

Wynter in Winter Reading Group

Every Wednesday, May 19 → June 23, 6pm → 8pm @ West Space

Community members are invited to participate in a collective reading of Silvia Wynter, Jamaican novelist, critic, philosopher and essayist. Over 6 weeks, the Wynter in Winter Reading Group will read Unsettling the Coloniality of Being/Power/Truth/Freedom: Towards the Human, After Man, Its Overrepresentation—An Argument. Co-hosted by Samira Farah, Madeleine Collie and Amy Spiers.

13 Years Closing Party

Friday 26 June, 6pm @ West Space

A Gathering with Aminata and BIPOC Wellness Collective for the Emerging Writers Festival

Saturday 26 June, 10am → 1pm @ West Space

Installation View of 13 Years showing a screen suspended away from the Gallery wall with 3 pairs of headphones and some cushions in front of it. The back wall shows a projection of archival footage of a record sitting on a record player with a person standing over it.
Installation View of 13 Years showing a screen suspended away from the Gallery wall with 3 pairs of headphones and some cushions in front of it. The back wall shows a projection of archival footage of a record sitting on a record player with a person standing over it.
The image shows a screen suspended at eye level in front of two large windows. The screen is black and white and shows an apartment block with the word "Community" in the top right corner.
Installation view of 13 Years showing a screen suspended away from the gallery wall with two pairs of headphones laying on the floor connected to it. The screen is black with white text that reads "Peter Tosh tribute, Africa Connexions, Neville Legg and Patrick Jonathan, Radio Skid Row, Sydney 1987, 42:43 minutes".
Installation view of 13 Years showing 2 screens suspended away from the gallery wall with two pairs of headphones laying on the floor connected to the closest screen. The closest screen is black with white text that reads "Peter Tosh tribute, Africa Connexions, Neville Legg and Patrick Jonathan, Radio Skid Row, Sydney 1987, 42:43 minutes". The furthest screen is not visible.
The image shows 5 colour photos sitting on a white shelf. The photos are of the Peter Tosh Australian Tour (1983) taken by Vijay Megan. 2 Photos show a group of 4 men gathered on a street corner and the other 3 photos show people in and around a bus.
The image shows Archival photos from the collection of Patrick Jonathan sitting on a white shelf. The photos are of the Peter Tosh Australian Tour (1983) taken by Vijay Megan. The photos are black and white and include portraits and groups, additionally there is a poster advertising the tour of Peter Tosh.
The photo shows 2 newspaper clippings and 2 photos sitting on a white shelf suspended off of the wall. The news paper clippings report on the death of Peter Tosh and the 2 black and white photos are of Tosh performing and Tosh surrounded by a group of people.
Installation view of 13 Years. On the left is a shelf suspended off the wall with a series of images placed on it. Towards the rear of the room two screens are suspended off of the gallery wall. In the right hand corner is a plain countertop.
Installation View of 13 Years showing 2 screens suspended away from the gallery wall, one screen has 3 pairs of headphones and some cushions in front of it. The back wall shows a projection of archival footage of two people sitting on a fence in front of 3 large apartment blocks.

Samira Farah is a curator, creative producer and radio presenter. She hosts The Score on Triple R.

Patrick Jonathan is a Sydney based radio broadcaster. In the ‘80s he co-founded one of Australia’s longest running African radio programs. He currently hosts Dial Afrika on East Side Radio, Sydney.

Guled Abdulwasi is a student of Architecture at RMIT and a multi-disciplined artist. As an emerging Architect, Guled aspires to better understand the connection between people and their environment.