Akingbade, Ayo
Ayo Akingbade works predominantly with moving image, to address notions of power, urbanism and stance. Interested in the fluid boundaries between the self and the Other, she gathers local and cultural experiences in intimate and playful interpretations.
For Dear Babylon, 2019, Akingbade aimed to make an ambitious experimental film, blending fact and fiction to increase awareness of social housing, and explore themes of gentrification and poverty in London. Set in London’s East End, the future of social housing is threatened by the AC30 Housing Bill. A trio of art students are eager to raise awareness about their neighbourhood, especially the lives of tenants and people who work on the estate. Shot in the boroughs of Hackney and Tower Hamlets, the artist highlights the area's rich history, celebrating and giving voice to cultures and communities that are currently underrepresented in the visual arts and wider media in the UK.
Dear Babylon concludes the No News Today trilogy. Other films in the series include Tower XYZ, 2016, and Street 66, 2018.
- Artwork Details: running time: 21 minutes 10seconds
- Edition: 1 of 3 + 1 AP
- Material description: 16mm film, HD video, colour, sound
- Credit line: © Ayo Akingbade. Image courtesy of the artist. Photo: Daragh Soden
- Theme:
- Medium: Film and Audio Visual
- Accession number: ACC35/2021