‘When the Snow Melts’
Millions of soldiers were recruited to the British Army from Asia and Africa during the two World Wars, and many millions more were involved in the war effort as civilians. The two World Wars were truly global events.
During wartime the role of black and Asian soldiers was widely reported, yet when the guns fell silent, their presence disappeared from the public gaze. Over the years the process of public remembrance through memorials, books, films and art – created a national narrative without their presence. In Britain, the celebration of Britain’s heroic past rarely included black and Asian people, perhaps contributing to a type of ‘psychic void’ which has failed to write people from different backgrounds into the history of war. Our shared common collective story is therefore buried away, as if under a layer of snow. This exhibition seeks to readdress that.
Artists Jagdish Patel and Farida Makki have been working with local families to explore the connections between Nottingham’s Muslim community and the wider war narrative. In this exhibition they use personal memory, maps, photographs and archive material to pose questions about the process of war memorialisation, empire and its interconnections to our present day identities. - Jagdish Patel
Main view of the exhibition curated by Jagdish Patel.
Jagdish Patel explains to local visitors parts of the exhibition. Architrave designed by the artist to reflect Sikh, Hindu and Islamic culture for reflection on the exhibition.
Ephemera and archive related to the exhibition’s focus on ethnic minorities role in the World Wars and the effects of war on them.
Jagdish Patel explains details of individuals enlisted and affected by war in the exhibition.
The exhibition features current day portraits of those children of war time soldiers who have migrated to the region.
Jagdish explains to visitors the archive & the various parts of the exhibition.