Perspective(s)
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Whose voices are heard in museums, whose histories are told, and how does exploring the past shape the future of anti-racism?
These are the critical questions that seven ethnically and culturally diverse artists are tackling through Perspective(s), a bold arts programme in which the artists are retelling and reimagining the stories of Welsh objects and history, offering fresh perspectives that challenge preconceptions and bring marginalised narratives to the fore.
Perspective(s) examines hidden histories within Wales’ national museums, from Welsh Plains used to clothe enslaved Africans to the lavish red sofa of Robert Clive, a figure central to British colonialism in India. The programme tackles complex and painful legacies; it rethinks the past to pave the way for a more inclusive future, one that acknowledges the diverse contributions and experiences that have shaped Wales and the world.
A collaboration with Arts Council of Wales and Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales, Perspective(s) forms part of Wales’s Anti-Racist Action Plan, with support from the Welsh Government.
Chapter are working with Sophie Mak-Schram on this project.
Project description
Sophie is exploring power - who has it, how it works and what it does - within the National Museum (Cardiff) and Chapter Arts Centre. Working with a range of collaborators - activists, community workers, artists, museum staff - they are developing collaborative 'tools'. These 'tools' range from access templates to modified megaphones and sound pieces, and intervene in power structures to offer methods or moments to learn together or collaborate more equitably. The 'tools' will be shown alongside key museum collection items that Sophie and collaborators have worked with, including the Schools Outreach Collection and the Asian Art corridor. They will be exhibited at Amgueddfa Cymru from May 2025 and Chapter from September 2025.
“Decolonising involves the reorientation of many values and structures that currently oppress most of us. The question is, in the European context, can one decolonise from a colonial centre? I have been working on themes that relate to this question across my artistic and academic work for a long time, and am now excited to be working in the specific context of Cardiff, a city with a lot of complex histories.”
Artist bio
Sophie Mak-Schram cares about the radicality possible in the 'and' between art and education. She works with others, both as method and form. Her work spans experiential education, collective practice and (artistic) research. She convenes, writes, reads, makes objects to learn with or listen to, facilitates and performs.
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Gallery
International in outlook and embedded in Wales, we work with artists based locally and globally.
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