All Flesh is Good: Madinah Farhannah Thompson and Valerie Uchechukwu Ebuwa

In 2023, Madinah Farhannah Thompson was a Black Artist in Residence in LADA’s Study Room. At the same time, she was re-performing in the Marina Abramović retrospective at the Royal Academy in London.

This experience influenced her to think about spectatorship and the objectification and fetishisation of the Black female body. Madinah’s Study Room research looked at this racial trauma, its impact on the body and what it means to share that with a majority white audience.

Madinah has invited fellow Black female re-performer Valerie Uchechukwu Ebuwa for an in-person conversation about Madinah's Study Room research and their experience of performing at the Abramović exhibition.

BIOS

Madinah Farhannah Thompson is a Norfolk-based visual artist and writer whose work challenges the pervasive misrepresentation of Black female bodies within Western societies. She aims to disrupt and deconstruct harmful stereotypes that uphold white supremacy, using her art to navigate these limiting narratives.

Madinah received a Distinction in MA Performance Making at Goldsmiths, University of London and graduated with first class honours in BA Fine Art from The Cass School of Art (London Metropolitan University). She has exhibited and performed at venues such as the Mall Galleries, Royal Academy, and Southbank Centre. Her film Saliva & Tears/Underneath You was awarded the Ingram Prize in 2020.

Valerie Uchechukwu Ebuwa is a choreographer, dance artist, activist, writer, model and mediator based in London. Valerie started her training at Lewisham College before obtaining a BA (Hons) degree from London Contemporary Dance School. Amongst others, she’s recently worked with Clod Ensemble, Jamie **, Marina Abramović, The Opera Story, and she performed for the opening of the London Festival of Architecture at Brixton Market Row. As a maker, she has choreographed and created ValUE, a multimedia project exploring the history of the Black female body. Valerie writes for I am Hip-Hop magazine, a printed and online publication championing Hip-Hop culture. Her work has been featured in Crack Magazine, i-D, Glass Magazine, The Earth Issue, and Stylist magazine.

@valerie_ebuwa

PHOTO

Madinah Farhannah Thompson re-performs 'Nude with Skeleton, 2002/2005/2023' at the Royal Academy of Arts. Image credit: David Parry

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Live Art Development Agency - LADA, The Garrett Centre, London, United Kingdom