UNAPOLOGETIC

Saturday, 15 October 2022, 4–8 pm

Dear friends of the arts,

I have just arrived from the USA and am back in Berlin in good time for our latest exhibition.

Besides the artworks – all of which were created by young African American artists – we can also look forward to exciting Black/white discussions, more topical now than ever.

I am looking forward to seeing you all again after what felt like an endless period of pandemic and the resulting lack of exhibitions.

See you on Saturday, as fresh as ever

Yours,

Jörg Starke

Executive Chairman of the Board of Trustees

Stiftung Starke – Non-profit Art Foundation

Unapologetic celebrates the freedom of an artist to create unapologetically by resisting the white gaze that exists within mainstream art narratives across the globe. BAAR Art Journey residents: Adana Tillman, Alphonce Odhiambo Ojwang, Baron Frankenstein, Carl Hazlewood, Kendra Dandy, Mekia Denby, Nanette Carter and Cory Ford. Our BAAR Includes programme enables artists to participate in our art journey and residency in a hybrid manner and is inclusive of the following African diaspora and LatinX artists: Antonia Stoyke, Rafaella Braga, Kojo Dela and Francisco Totem Perez.

Unapologetic showcases artworks created prior to their journey and residency to Berlin, which are representative of their creative expression both during and after the pandemic. The works are colourful, meaningful and represent various subject matters important to the artists. Over a five-week period during their journey and residency, the artists will create new works of art as they experience psychological safety and tap into their authentic selves outside their home countries. The final exhibitions take place at Stiftung Starke (3 November) and Bode Projects (10 November), and the works will remain in Berlin, Germany, until 6 January 2023 before journeying on to Barcelona, Basel and various cities throughout the United States. Works will be auctioned and sold in San Francisco in late 2023.

BAAR Art Journey and Residency is the brainchild of Jewell Sparks, who currently lives and works in Berlin, Germany. Unapologetic is organised by BiTHOUSE Projects Fund c/o Philanthropic Ventures Foundation / United17 Ventures in collaboration with Stiftung Starke. Curated by Wilhelmina Jewell Sparks of BAAR Art Journey and Residency, the organisers thank the artists for their dedication to creating works representative of their authentic creative selves as society transforms in the aftermath of the pandemic and the impacts of social inequalities rising to the surface across the globe.