How to be an artist and revolutionize the world
German theatres still have almost exclusively white ensembles and Afro-German visual artists continue to struggle for recognition free of labels like 'African' or 'migrant' - even in 2012. The Little Book of Big Visions: How to be an Artist and Revolutionize the World, edited by Sandrine Micossé-Aikins and Sharon Dodua Otoo, discusses the current situation of Black artists in Germany and presents their visions for equality in text and image form. This results in an innovative work engaging in a discourse reaching far beyond concepts of 'integration' or 'migration' - or even 'race' or 'equality' themselves. This anthology is aimed primarily at Black cultural producers living and working in Germany, as well as those who reside in English-speaking contexts throughout the diaspora. However, this book is also aimed at everyone who has an interest in revolutionizing the contemporary art scene in Germany and ensuring that it finally begins to be truly reflective of its actual and future populations.
With texts by:
Jamika Ajalon, Bibiana Arena, Mo Asumang, Sonia Elizabeth Barrett, Misa Dayson, Philipp Khabo Koepsell, Gyavira Lasana, Stephen Lawson, Sandrine Micossé-Aikins, Caille Millner, Yvette Mutumba, Sharon Dodua Otoo and Alexander G. Weheliye.
About the editors:
The painter and conceptual artist Sandrine Micossé-Aikins deals with questions concerning identity and belonging, exclusion and (self) empowerment. Starting from her experience as a Togolese-German artist, who studied and worked in Mauritius, among other places, she combines various art forms to question facets of identity, ascriptions and unequal power relations. In 2008/09 she co-curated and supervised the project Prèt-à-Partager for the German Institute for Foreign Cultural Relations. Sandrine Micossé-Aikins completed the Master program 'Art in Context' at the University of Arts in Berlin..
Sharon Dodua Otoo is a Black British mother, activist, author and editor of the English language book series 'Witnessed'. Sharon's first novella 'the things i am thinking while smiling politely' was published in English in 2012 and appeared in German as 'die dinge, die ich denke, während ich höflich lächele' in 2013 (both also in edition assemblage). She lives, laughs and works in Berlin.