For the opening weekend of Liverpool Biennial 2023, join us for Albert Ibokwe Khoza’s ‘The Black Circus of the Republic of Bantu’
For the opening weekend of Liverpool Biennial 2023, join us for Albert Ibokwe Khoza’s ‘The Black Circus of the Republic of Bantu’ – an immersive, live offering at Tobacco Warehouse. Khoza is one of a number of artists responding to Liverpool Biennial 2023’s theme of ‘uMoya’ by using their bodies as vessels and vehicles for change – bodies that have historically been and often continue to be viewed as objects of desire or servitude.
‘The Black Circus of the Republic of Bantu’ exposes the violent and shameful legacy of ethnological expositions (such as human zoos and exhibitions), that were popular in Western society between the 1870s and 1960s. Through this live offering, Khoza will investigate the effect of the imperial and colonial gaze on Black bodies, how it sits within Black bodies today, and how it might be remedied. Examining the ongoing pain of historical and continuing racism, Khoza creates a space for collective healing and an opportunity for dignity to be reclaimed.
Please note that ‘The Black Circus of the Republic of Bantu’ contains full frontal nudity, amplified sound and shouting, and optional audience participation. The show’s content includes themes of sexual exploitation and references to the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Audiences are requested to stand or sit on the floor for the duration of the show (approximately 1 hour), though limited seating will be provided upon request. Audiences are advised to wear warm clothing as Tobacco Warehouse can get cold in the evenings.
This event is for over 18s only.
Access Provision at this Event:
- Touch tours and audio description are available
- Seating will be provided upon request
If you require any of the above access provisions, please inform Liverpool Biennial prior to the event by emailing access@biennial.com.
If you have any queries relating to accessibility, please contact adrian@biennial.com or, alternatively, a member of our Front of House team will be happy to help if you require assistance on the day.
About the Artist
Albert Ibokwe Khoza is an internationally acclaimed performance artist who continuously reveals and projects a state of mind of a loner individual who is a non-binary womanly man and a Sangoma (traditional healer). Through their sexuality and traditional practice, they express their thoughts by moving between different artistic mediums to outline social ills and what their divergent nature sees and interprets about the world they live in, critically questioning their surroundings, their leaders and life itself.
About Liverpool Biennial
Liverpool Biennial is UK’s largest free festival of contemporary visual art. Taking place over 14 weeks across the city in public spaces, galleries, museums and online, the Biennial commissions artists from the UK and around the world to make and present work in the context of Liverpool. Liverpool Biennial 2023 ‘uMoya: The Sacred Return of Lost Things’, curated by Khanyisile Mbongwa, addresses the history and temperament of the city of Liverpool and is a call for ancestral and indigenous forms of knowledge, wisdom and healing. 2023 marks 25 years of Liverpool Biennial presenting international art in the city and wider region.
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