Family Time

About

Hamja Ahsan presents his debut solo exhibition at the Departure since graduating from Central Saint Martins this year. Entitled ‘Family Time' the show is curated around the theme of experiencing time through the family body. Originating from a Bengali, Islamic migrant background, Ahsan explores how other cultural systems have different modes of indexing time — work/ leisure, rural/urban time, religious/secular time, waiting, decay and ageing. A number of works grow out of Ahsan's experiences of visiting his brother in prison — who is being unjustly held indefinitely on recent draconian anti-terrorist legislation ‘The US Extradition treaty'. These works examine how passing time within a total institution can reflect on the construction of the ‘everyday' life of the metropolis. Ahsan's practice encompasses the entire span of media: drawing, sound art, painting, appropriated text work, photography, performance, video, curation and critical writing. Exhibition duration: 22nd August — 12th September 2008. The Departure 649 Commercial Road E14 7LW 1 minute walk from Limehouse DLR. Opening hours: Tues-Fri (11am-9pm) Sat (10am-5pm) All events Free, no booking needed. Just turn up on the day. Launch Event Film Screening: The Clay Bird (2002) Friday, 22nd August, 7pm A beautiful, evocative film about a boy's coming of age during the Liberation war of Bangladesh. In this setting a small family must come to grips with its culture, its faith, and the brutal political changes entering its small-town world. The film was shot almost entirely with non-professionals in local settings often using local sounds. The cinematography attempted to capture the seasons in rustic appeal and the festivals and holidays of Bangladesh. The film was choosen to tie in with themes and settings of my exhibition, much of which is shot in rural and urban Bengal. Winner of the International Critics Prize at Cannes Film Festival, 2002. Duration: 90 minutes Film screening begins at 7pm Offical Website http://ctmasud.web.aplus.net/about/ A Video art/ Short film event will be also be held on 12th September to mark the closing of the exhibition including Hamja Ahsan's video work and art documentaries on Bangladesh. 5pm-6.30pm.