PAN AFRICAN FLAGS FOR THE RELIC TRAVELLERS' ALLIANCE (WESTMINSTER)

Vinyl Applications and Poster Series, 2019 - 20

A public commission for Art on the Underground, reimagining London Underground’s iconic roundel for Westminster Underground station from November 2019 - February 2020.

As part of the on-going multi-disciplinary and multi-site project Relic Traveller, the traditional red and blue logo that has been synonymous with the Underground and London since 1908, was interrupted. This commission sought to consider the possibilities of alternate histories and formed part of Art on the Underground’s 2019 programme which looked at the role artists can play in forming ideas of togetherness and belonging.

Through re-imagining the logo’s design, there was a focus on Pan African colours that speak symbolically to various African diasporic identities: green, black, and red, which collectively reflect the land, the people and the struggles the continent has endured, alongside gold to represent a new day and prosperity. Eight newly designed roundels were installed at seventy locations throughout Westminster Underground Station.

Based in science fiction and traditional Adinkra symbolism, these roundel redesigns built on the artist’s concept of sanko-time, a theory at the core of his recent practice. Sanko-time is based in the Ashanti word 'sankofa', which roughly translated, means to go back for what has been left behind. 'Sankofa' also alludes to using the past to prepare for the future; the wish of being able to go back to an immutable point to make sure that what has been lost is not lost any longer. The project opened narratives regarding African mythologies and their relationship to science fiction.

This work with Art on the Underground provided an opportunity to explore imaginations and a sense of connectedness within the African diaspora, and to reconsider their often forgotten and erased contributions to the city.

Photos by GG Achard &  Benedict Johnson

PAN AFRICAN FLAGS FOR THE RELIC TRAVELLERS' ALLIANCE (WESTMINSTER), commissioned by Art on the Underground