Kiara Mohamed’s new film The Lives We Lead (2020), commissioned by Bluecoat as part of a new ongoing programme focused on Liverpool City Region artists.
The film was originally scheduled to be exhibited at Bluecoat from this week and instead, with permission of the artist, Bluecoat are releasing The Lives We Lead online. The film will be available until 28 February 2021.
The Lives We Lead (2020) was filmed during the first lockdown last spring and throughout summer 2020. It features video calls between Kiara as he catches up with friends and acquaintances contrasting what was happening in their lives against global events. The film captures moments of shared humanity, exploring the way Covid-19 has impacted on our lives and the effect of the global uprising of Black Lives Matter.
The artist says of the work, “The film is a celebration of the Black and Brown lives in Liverpool but also an acknowledgement of how far we have yet to go in the UK to bring justice for the lives of Black people.”
Marie-Anne McQuay, Bluecoat’s Head of Programme said: “At Bluecoat we bring together artists from all over the world but we need to renew our efforts to nurture local talent. Kiara Mohamed is testament to the strength of the Liverpool arts scene and we’re delighted to be able to show new work from him. We also want to make more spontaneous opportunities and slots available as we change the dynamic of our exhibition making in the coming months and years”.
Watch the film here:
Please note: This film contains brief scenes of violence, themes of trauma and includes the sounds of police sirens.
A series of photographs from the same project has also been acquired by the Art Collection of the University of Salford, having been commissioned by Open Eye Gallery, with images shown on a screen at Museum of Liverpool in autumn 2020. See more of the project here.