PARADES & PROCESSIONS: HERE COMES EVERYBODY Jul 2009

This innovative exploration of parades and processions in 21st Century Art was held at Parasol Unit, London. 
A ‘parade’ is usually a festive occasion for which people dress up in extravagant costumes and create elaborate and highly structured artefacts, while a ‘procession’ is more often an organised group of people proceeding in a formal or ceremonial manner, often with a religious or political connotation.

Artists such as Jeremy Deller with his sophisticated social commentaries, Thomas Hirschhorn with the reduction of war to cartoon ridicule, Fiona Banner with her parade of 150 models of fighter planes and William Kentridge with his clever black and white shadow processions all pick up the political, historical and cultural strand of this ancient form of presentation  in an individual and eloquent way.

The evolution and expressive power of parades and processions throughout the centuries allowed these twelve artists to adopt traditional themes and,  by replacing some of the emblems and icons with other symbols and objects to bring new meaning to the work as well as the cause.

The exhibition featured: Francis Alÿs, Fiona Banner, Jeremy Deller, Thomas Hirschhorn, Rachel Hovnanian, Teresa Hubbard & Alexander Birchler, William Kentridge, Michèle Magema, Annette Messager, Amy O’Neill and Hiraki Sawa.