Art of Change was an art exhibition for female artists of the Commonwealth that took place in 2011 at the Royal Commonwealth Society gallery in Northumberland Avenue, London. It was organised by Kambani Arts, in partnership with the Royal Commonwealth Society.
The theme for the Commonwealth in 2011 was ‘Women as Agents of Change’ and this was the inspiration behind the exhibition. Change is never easy, never straightforward. It is usually resisted, often defied but change is ultimately positive. All new things require a change from old. That is just the way it is.
For the exhibition, artists were tasked to explore change in their work and this raised a number of questions. Should the exhibition focus purely on women that had inspired change? Should forms of expression be controlled? Should the scope of the theme be limited? In the end, the mandate evolved into a simple one. Allow artists freedom to express change in the best way they saw fit. This allowed for interpretation and meaning from within the mind-set of the artist.
The logistics involved in putting the exhibition together were challenging. Networking through a range of High Commissions’ was a huge challenge, a real lesson in diversity and diplomacy. Preaching the message of art to the unconverted was tough but rewarding. Changing people’s perspectives, changing attitudes and outlooks, changing ones vision, all contributed to a solid achievement in the shaping and focus of the exhibition.
