Osman Yousefzada – When will we be good enough?

The exhibition asks when will we ever be good enough to move forward from a centuries-old reality where power and control are in the hands of the few? He suggests that power doesn’t ever die but reinvents itself. How much power do we ever really hold and how much has really changed?

This captivating installation features a range of media including sculpture and textiles that tell stories of global power that are just as relevant to people across the world today as they have been for centuries. It highlights issues of injustice and patriarchy that impact disproportionately according to status and race.

Inspiration for this new iteration of Yousefzada’s practice comes from the links between colonial histories and today’s information age. The underwater cables that transmit digital information are laid along the same colonial seafaring routes once taken by British ships; both of which are viaducts of power.

Yousefzada has also selected works from The Box's collections that are rarely on display including weapons from the world cultures collection, specimens from the natural history collection and 19th century busts from the art collection. Film footage from The Box's archives can also be viewed on screens in the gallery.

When will we be good enough? follows Yousefzada's recent major solo presentations:

Welcome! A Palazzo for Immigrants at the 60th Venice Biennale (Palazzo Franchetti, 17 April-7 October 2024)
Where It Began at Cartwright Hall Art Gallery, Bradford (3 May-13 October 2024), part of the countdown to Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture

This is a compelling exploration of historical and contemporary power dynamics seen through the lens of Yousefzada's unique artistic vision.

The related events at The Box included an In Conversation with Gemma Rolls-Bentley, family workshops and digital resilience workshops. There was also a 'Super Saturday' with events inspired by the themes in the exhibition.

About the artist

Osman Yousefzada is a British born, internationally recognised interdisciplinary artist and writer who describes his practice as auto ethnographic, where personal stories become political. His South Asian heritage is a strong influence in his craft-inspired, sculptural practice. Born in Birmingham, he creates work that reflects and questions the injustices he saw first-hand during his childhood and which still exist today. South Asian influences are what many might first see when they encounter his work but it is far broader and unravels pressing issues of our time including global histories, issues of power, colonialities, class and race.

Image credit
Image by Steve Russell Studios LTD. Courtesy of Osman Yousefzada.