© Tate (Isidora Bojovic)
1 room in The Tanks
British artist Topher Campbell explores the embodiment of Black Queer life in his new installation inspired by the rukus! archive
rukus! Federation was co-founded by Topher Campbell and photographer Ajamu X in 2000. Carving out space for Black Queer expression and creativity, they organised social gatherings, events and exhibitions. rukus! references the phrase ‘to cause a ruckus’ or disturbance. It’s also a playful nod to the African American porn star ‘Ruckus’. Through rukus! Federation, they created a platform for the unapologetic celebration of Black Queer life, in the face of ongoing discrimination, stigmatization and violence.
In 2005, Campbell and Ajamu X launched the rukus! archive dedicated to collecting artistic, social and cultural histories related to Black Queer communities. It’s the largest archive of its kind in Britain, with material including letters, diaries, club night flyers, sexual health pamphlets, magazines, photographs, and films, amongst other ephemera. It draws on the work of cultural theorist Stuart Hall including his notion of the ‘living archive’. As Campbell explains ‘Not all history can be articulated in papers and pamphlets.’ rukus! Federation approaches the archiving process as a social practice with friendship, desire, sex, pleasure, joy and community playing a crucial role in the generation and preservation of Black Queer history.
In this installation Campbell explores the disruptive power of the Black Queer body. He reflects on its generative capacity, as a force which resists categorisation and embraces possibility. As he describes, ‘rukus! was about embracing difference and creating out of difference...There is a notion of Blackness. There is a notion of Queerness. There is a notion of identity politics and diversity. But I'm trying to say that all that is irrelevant. What do you feel when you walk into this space? How do you relate to what you're hearing or seeing, or what's being presented to you? That is the invitation.’
On the 19th October 2024, Campbell’s installation will be activated through live performance and discussion. The event will embody the playful and defiant spirit of rukus!, reflecting on what it means to inhabit Black Queerness and creativity today. The event will be recorded, with the documentation entering the rukus! archive. In this way the work stands in active dialogue with both past, present, and future, creating opportunities for new exchanges and encounters.
