Making a Rukus!

Intriguing exhibition at Somerset House looking at the Rukus! Archive, Europe's largest archive of Black LGBTQIA+ culture and history.

The collection has been accumulated as a project founded by photographer Ajamu X and filmmaker Topher Campbell, who describe themselves as “two unruly Queers defying conventions of race and sexuality by taking up space without asking permission”.

The dry yet often explicit work was cleverly displayed in themed groups echoing aspects of Black, gay love over the last 50 years. As the collection started with the founders’ own material it feels a bit focused on them but as more people contribute it will broaden out.

It was a good example of how to order and display archive material which can be heavily text based.

Closed 19 January 2025

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