Yinka Shonibare ‘The British Library’ at Tate Modern

I finally got to see this installation at the Tate Modern museum amongst other beautiful and engaging artwork. Definitely worth an immersion! This is the work of Yinka Shonibare; to learn more about the artist and his work, do visit the website www.yinkashonibare.com. Most distinct about his body of work is that it often incorporates the use of Dutch wax print fabric, challenging ideas on culture, identity and globalisation.

Below is an excerpt from the Tate Modern website but do delve in using the links below to learn more about the work.

The British Library 2014 is an installation of 6,328 hardback books individually covered in colourful ‘Dutch wax print’ fabric and arranged on rows of shelving. Names are printed in gold leaf on the spines of 2,700 of the books, the majority of which are of first- or second-generation immigrants to Britain, both celebrated and lesser-known, who have made significant contributions to British culture and history. Among names such as Hans Holbein, Zadie Smith, Dame Helen Mirren and Danny Welbeck, the names of those who have opposed immigration also appear, including Nigel Farage and Oswald Mosley. Adjacent to the bookshelves is a study space with tablets, where viewers are able to access the artwork’s website (http://thebritishlibraryinstallation.com).

The British Library was originally co-commissioned in 2014 by HOUSE 2014 and Brighton Festival for the Old Reference Library at the Brighton Museum and Art Gallery. The installation has since been presented at Museu Afro Brasil, São Paulo and Turner Contemporary, Margate in 2016, and was shown as part of the Diaspora Pavilion at the Venice Biennale in 2017.

Tate Modern- The British Library 2014, Yinka Shonibare CBE