Something for the Week, Issue 3
By Keshav Anand and Adam CoghlanThis week, discover the story of Cymande, the pioneering self-taught South London band, Jayeeta Chatterjee’s new exhibition at Chemould Prescott Road in Mumbai, a thought-provoking Substack out of London, and one of the best books out there on the Memphis Group.
If you like what you see, subscribe to the Something Curated newsletter.
Jayeeta Chatterjee’s An Eye Inside at Chemould Prescott Road, Mumbai
Through cloth scrolls, quilts and prints, Jayeeta Chatterjee documents nuances of working life from homes and communities in Bengal, India. Her output spans woodblock prints on saris — collected from the women she bases her works on — to Nakshi Kantha, a centuries-old Bengali embroidery technique. An Eye Inside presents Chatterjee’s journey from an interest in interiors and architecture to her exploration of domestic politics.
22 February – 30 March 2024
Coming Soon at Lafayette Anticipations, Paris
Since the beginning of time, contemplating, anticipating or fearing the future has profoundly influenced our existence on Earth. In our current context, one of profound metamorphosis and uncertainty, Coming Soon considers the relationship we have with the unknown. The show, which opens at Lafayette Anticipations in Paris this week, brings together new commissions by contemporary artists along with historical objects.
Opening 28 February 2024
Tim MacKenzie-Smith’s Getting It Back: The Story of Cymande
Cymande, self-taught musicians hailing from South London and the sons of Windrush immigrants, blended funk, calypso, soul, and jazz in their music. Despite three ambitious albums and some traction in the US, they disbanded in 1975 due to a lack of support for their work in the UK and continuous racism within the music industry. Tim MacKenzie-Smith’s riveting documentary explores the story of the British Black super group who never got their flowers.
Memphis. Plastic Field by Constance Rubini & Jean Blanchaert
During the 1980s, the Memphis Group, founded by Ettore Sottsass, revolutionised the European design scene, radically reinventing the language of form and colour and challenging the status quo of functionalist design. This book, the catalogue for a show at MADD-Bordeaux, looks at the genesis of the Memphis collective and the furniture, household objects, glassware, lighting, ceramics, and textiles they designed.
Leyman Lahcine’s Tides of Consciousness at the Sarabande Foundation, London
This solo exhibition of London-based artist Leyman Lahcine “explores the significance of symbols as expressions of the unconscious” with paintings that seek to “capture the dialogue between the conscious and unconscious minds.”
His depictions of figures and narratives consistently forge links between the currents of his inner most thoughts and the experiences of daily life, resulting in powerful collisions of emotionally-charged imagery.
Private View 6-8 p.m. 29th February The exhibition runs until 3rd March.
Why Are You Like This? by Sam Diss: A Newsletter
London-based writer Sam Diss is the author of Why Are You Like This? – a newsletter about stories, storytelling, and one of the most thoughtful, thought-provoking, and genuinely interesting newsletters we’ve come across in some time. Each midweek Diss sends out 10 things to think about which are discreet points of interest – be it things to read, listen to, think about – which tend to also be connected by an over-arching theme or existential question. A recent issue looked at curiosity versus fear, failure and success; about intentions, and the need to remain in a perpetual state of motion. On Fridays, he interviews notable folks from the creative world about their processes. Subscribe here.
ICYMI: Cook A Late February Zinger Salad to See You Into Spring
Find the full recipe here.
Feature image: Tim MacKenzie-Smith’s Getting It Back: The Story of Cymande. Photo: BFI