The digital archive traces the historical past of artwork and design
Safiya Mckenzie went on day trips to London as a child, but when she passed Somerset House she didn't see it as a place that reflected her background. "The last thing that came to mind was my own inheritance," she recalls. "Physical space itself is a reflection of British imperial power."
Mckenzie is a designer at Comuzi, a London-based design and technology studio that works with brands and organizations to "future-proof" them in a rapidly changing world. As part of his residency at Somerset House Studios, Comuzi has just completed a project with six of the organization's emerging creators on the Future Producers program – Jahnavi Inniss, Okocha Obasi, RhyanRhyan, Zak Agnew, Nkechinyere Nwobani-Akanwo, and Kayleigh De Sousa ways, like the heritage can be explored in the context of Somerset House.
Early conversations between Comuzi and the Future Producers showed that Mckenzie was not alone in her encounters with cultural and art institutions. "We all had very similar experiences," she says. “We talked about the importance of preserving the UK's black heritage and critically examining the lens through which history is presented to us. Whose stories are prioritized? Whose are thrown away? How can we celebrate the culture, traditions, and worldviews of the people in our communities?
“Of course there were conversations about how history, art and identity are closely related. Whether intentionally or not, artists continue to play a major role in “reflecting on time” through their work, as Nina Simone explained. "We investigated what it is like that by learning about our culture, the stories of our ancestors, we are invited to confidently stand in our black identity."