Citizen

Tash Kahn and John Ros, Swiss Cottage Gallery, London, 2018.

The history of how a community treats citizen’s rights directly reflects our broader society, both now and in the past. A person’s ability and desire to protect basic human rights is a factor to how strong the fabric of community may be, allowing people to be free citizens capable of living life to their fullest. Looking back in time reveals our triumphs as well as our shortcomings as a society.

Tash Kahn looked at the differences and character of each of the London Borough of Camden’s voting wards and how things have changed over the years: has history left its mark or have areas changed beyond recognition? How do the inhabitants ‘inhabit’ the new, constantly changing space? Using these questions as starting points she travelled to each of the Borough’s 18 wards, taking polaroids, collecting ‘finds’ and recording local sounds.

Ros looked back at voting districts throughout the borough, considering how they influence our identities as citizens. How does each new boundary shape identity? Ros researched several spaces and times within the current boundaries of the borough, looking at voting trends since women were given the right to vote. In doing so, he marked out visual representations of the area questioning: what is boundary? What is citizenry? How does one affect the other?

The two artists brought these ideas together to collaborate in an exhibition that celebrated 100 years of the women’s right to vote, aesthetics and ethics, and why people do what they do.

  • 2018_citizen-16
2018_citizen-02
  • 2018_citizen-36
  • 2018_citizen-32
  • IMG_1145
  • 2018_citizen-43

On Friday 14th June 2018 the Citizen exhibition at Swiss Cottage Library was vandalised and 15 of my Polaroids were stolen. The perpetrator removed the bottom screws from the perspex coverings (taking the screws with them) and slid the Polaroids out leaving a trail of blood behind them. The pictures appeared to be randomly selected and only 9 remained. We never found out why, but the show continued to its advertised end with the statement (below) pinned to the wall.

THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT WAS RELEASED BY THE ARTISTS TASH KAHN AND JOHN ROS AFTER THE EXHIBITION WAS VANDALISED. NEITHER THE GALLERY NOR THE COUNCIL EVER RELEASED AN OFFICIAL PUBLIC STATEMENT:

Citizen was a project conceived on the parameters of equality. This collaboration between two artists took time to develop, produce and execute. Many wonderful people were involved. It was offered in this public space for all.

Citizen is a public project that was vandalised. Works were removed by a member of the public. Motivations are still unknown.

Citizen will continue. Being a citizen (legal or not) of any space if difficult. We must be vigilant to hold those in power accountable and to support our neighbours — like-minded and not. It is not always HOW we react, but that we KEEP reacting to the injustices perpetrated in our name.

— Tash Kahn and John Ros, July 2018