Why it's time to decolonize the artistic industries
The cultural canon has been the subject of recurring debates over the years, but has taken on new meaning given recent events. Here CR talks to graphic design publisher Sold Out and photo editor Sara Urbaez about why decolonization should be a movement, not a moment
The past few months have been an important time in the struggle for racial equality. The tragic death of George Floyd by a white policeman not only sparked a wave of global protests, but also a broader reflection on the nature of the race and its role in society.
Individuals and companies in the creative industry used this period of reflection to think about what else they could and should do. While diversity is a term most of us are now familiar with – be it through workplace initiatives or through events and organizations dedicated to inclusiveness – decolonization is an expression that has emerged in the recent protests against Black Lives Matter, particularly in, has surfaced more frequently in relation to the removal of colonial relics such as Bristol's statue of the slave trader Edward Colston.
Above and above: Chanell Stone
Although often used interchangeably, a clear distinction must be made between diversity and decolonization. Anoushka Khandwala emphasized in her recently published article on AIGA's Eye on Design: “Diversity is about bringing more people to the table. Decolonization is about changing our way of thinking. “Historically used to describe a state's withdrawal from a former colony, decolonization is now more about exploring how Western society and culture was built on colonization and oppression of other nations, and how we can work to to rephrase this.
So what does it mean to deal with our colonial past in the context of the creative industries? Organizations such as the editorial platform and the Decolonising Design research group are already making progress in deconstructing the lens that is currently evaluating creative work, with the canon of typically white male creatives setting the bar for what is considered good or bad. In recent months, however, a new wave of organizations has emerged that have dealt with the sensitive issue of decolonization.