0:00:03 > 0:00:06This film that you're about to see was made before the tragic
0:00:06 > 0:00:09events on June 14th, when the Grenfell Tower fire
0:00:09 > 0:00:12took the lives of many of its residents.
0:00:12 > 0:00:14It includes contributions from Khadija Saye,
0:00:14 > 0:00:19a talented young artist who died alongside her mother, Mary Mendy.
0:00:20 > 0:00:23It was a privilege getting to know Khadija during the making
0:00:23 > 0:00:27of this film and I hope it goes some way to reflect not just her talent
0:00:27 > 0:00:31and passion for art and photography, but her incredible spirit.
0:00:42 > 0:00:46The Venice Biennale, known as the Olympics of Modern Art.
0:00:47 > 0:00:49Every two years, countries from around the world
0:00:49 > 0:00:53send their best artists to represent them on the world's stage.
0:00:53 > 0:00:56And every inch of the most beautiful city on earth
0:00:56 > 0:00:59becomes crammed with thousands of curators,
0:00:59 > 0:01:02gallery owners and millionaire buyers,
0:01:02 > 0:01:04who descend for the opening week.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07But this year, as well as the official British pavilions,
0:01:07 > 0:01:12a group of diverse emerging artists are being sent to shake up Venice
0:01:12 > 0:01:15with the first-ever Diaspora Pavilion.
0:01:15 > 0:01:19In an art world still dominated by white Western nations,
0:01:19 > 0:01:23these emerging artists are going to be exploring some of the key issues
0:01:23 > 0:01:28of our time - from nationalism and identity, to borders and belonging.
0:01:30 > 0:01:32And all the while, trying to make their name,
0:01:32 > 0:01:35competing for the attention of the cultural elite
0:01:35 > 0:01:39who pack into Venice for this most important of events
0:01:39 > 0:01:40in the Arts calendar.
0:01:49 > 0:01:51In just two weeks, 11 emerging
0:01:51 > 0:01:55diverse artists will step into the spotlight in Venice.
0:01:55 > 0:01:59But one artist's story begins all the way back in the basement
0:01:59 > 0:02:02of this chip shop, in London's Ladbroke Grove.
0:02:02 > 0:02:04Hi, there. I'm looking for Abbas.
0:02:04 > 0:02:06- Abbas is downstairs.- Thank you.
0:02:08 > 0:02:13Abbas Zahedi is an installation and performance artist of Iranian descent.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16- Hi. Hi, good to meet you. - Pleasure.
0:02:16 > 0:02:18- This is where you're hiding? - Yeah, yeah.
0:02:18 > 0:02:20I've been down here for a while now.
0:02:20 > 0:02:22How did this become your work space?
0:02:22 > 0:02:26Me and a lot of my friends, one of whom's family owns the shop,
0:02:26 > 0:02:29we used to just meet up here a lot and discuss different ideas,
0:02:29 > 0:02:31philosophy, art, literature.
0:02:31 > 0:02:35And a lot of my own kind of development as an artist took
0:02:35 > 0:02:37place with the ideas that I was engaging with here.
0:02:39 > 0:02:40Of all the emerging artists,
0:02:40 > 0:02:43Abbas has had the least conventional route to art.
0:02:43 > 0:02:47His Iranian parents both died while he was growing up and when at
0:02:47 > 0:02:50medical school, his life was turned upside down once again.
0:02:52 > 0:02:53I lost my younger brother
0:02:53 > 0:02:57and he was the last surviving member of my family.
0:02:57 > 0:03:01And for the first time I had to study medicine for myself,
0:03:01 > 0:03:03and not in that kind of,
0:03:03 > 0:03:07my predicament of "I need a solid career to look after my family".
0:03:07 > 0:03:09Now it was about me - I'm doing medicine
0:03:09 > 0:03:11because I want to be a doctor.
0:03:11 > 0:03:13- Your heart wasn't in it?- No.
0:03:13 > 0:03:15I said, I tried that, it's not working for me.
0:03:15 > 0:03:16I have to find another way.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21It was then he began exploring his heritage through art,
0:03:21 > 0:03:24creating DIY installations in the chip shop.
0:03:24 > 0:03:26The centrepiece of his artwork in Venice is
0:03:26 > 0:03:29a new drink that he's brewed mixing a traditional Iranian
0:03:29 > 0:03:32soft drink with an east London craft beer,
0:03:32 > 0:03:35creating a seemingly exotic beverage,
0:03:35 > 0:03:38reflecting the complexity of his Iranian-British identity.
0:03:40 > 0:03:42I'm trying to make sense of my own history,
0:03:42 > 0:03:46but I'm kind of playing with the idea of what a drink can be.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49My mother's maiden name is Sharbatdar,
0:03:49 > 0:03:51which means "the possessor of drinks".
0:03:51 > 0:03:55And they were ceremonial drinks makers in their village.
0:03:55 > 0:03:59And now, being an artisanal food and drink producer,
0:03:59 > 0:04:01is some lofty position.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04- Trendy?- Yeah, very trendy and, you know...
0:04:04 > 0:04:06So I'm thinking, "Oh, wow!
0:04:06 > 0:04:10"What they were doing then, now has some different meaning."
0:04:10 > 0:04:13And I'm telling my family in Iran about this and they're saying,
0:04:13 > 0:04:16"What's wrong with you, we all became accountants!
0:04:16 > 0:04:18"No-one does this any more."
0:04:18 > 0:04:21What will success look like for you, from this experience?
0:04:21 > 0:04:23I don't know what, what this is meant to be,
0:04:23 > 0:04:26in terms of an artist's journey.
0:04:26 > 0:04:31I just know that I've probably exhausted my time at the chip shop.
0:04:31 > 0:04:33- You need a bigger platform?- Yeah.
0:04:34 > 0:04:36The idea for this new platform was born at the
0:04:36 > 0:04:40Venice Biennale 2007, when curator
0:04:40 > 0:04:44David A Bailey and then Culture Minister David Lammy got talking.
0:04:45 > 0:04:49It doesn't get much bigger than Venice.
0:04:49 > 0:04:51It's immense, in terms of the art world.
0:04:51 > 0:04:56The whole world is in Venice at that point.
0:04:56 > 0:04:57But there is a peculiar feeling,
0:04:57 > 0:04:59because it doesn't feel like the whole world.
0:04:59 > 0:05:03As you look around, there's something missing.
0:05:04 > 0:05:05People used to say to me,
0:05:05 > 0:05:07"Well, why'd you want to go there?
0:05:07 > 0:05:09"Why would you want to go to Venice?
0:05:09 > 0:05:11"What does it...? You know, that's not a place for you."
0:05:11 > 0:05:13And I always got the message that,
0:05:13 > 0:05:16A - it wasn't a place for me because I was black.
0:05:16 > 0:05:21And B - it wasn't really a place because it was considered
0:05:21 > 0:05:23a gated arena.
0:05:23 > 0:05:27The art world is traditionally a very closed community.
0:05:27 > 0:05:28It's hard to break in,
0:05:28 > 0:05:32and that is hard if you're coming from a working-class background
0:05:32 > 0:05:35or if you're coming from an ethnic minority background.
0:05:35 > 0:05:37A project like this blows that wide open.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42They decided to stage an exhibition that would bring diversity into
0:05:42 > 0:05:47the heart of the Venice art world - the Diaspora Pavilion was born.
0:05:52 > 0:05:56A world away from Venice, back in central London,
0:05:56 > 0:06:0024-year-old photographer Khadija Saye lives here with her mum.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03Both my parents are from Gambia.
0:06:03 > 0:06:07And my mother is Christian and my father is Muslim.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10So this idea of having these dual faiths -
0:06:10 > 0:06:14and being brought up going to the mosque and going to church -
0:06:14 > 0:06:17it's always been something I've always found fascinating.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20And it's one of the first times I've been able to explore it
0:06:20 > 0:06:22through my photography.
0:06:24 > 0:06:29Venice is Khadija's first professional exhibition since leaving art school.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32She'll be presenting six self portraits,
0:06:32 > 0:06:34created using a Victorian photography process.
0:06:36 > 0:06:38In each photo, she's holding a different object,
0:06:38 > 0:06:40blessed by an animist faith healer,
0:06:40 > 0:06:44a ritual tradition practised by Gambian communities of all faiths.
0:06:47 > 0:06:52So, you are the youngest of the emerging artists going to Venice.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55Does that fill you with pride or trepidation?
0:06:55 > 0:06:56A combination of the two!
0:06:56 > 0:07:00I feel like the industry in general is quite traditional
0:07:00 > 0:07:03and it seems like there's formulas or things
0:07:03 > 0:07:05that you sort of have to know the right person,
0:07:05 > 0:07:07- do the right thing.- Quite cliquey.
0:07:07 > 0:07:09And when you're outside of that,
0:07:09 > 0:07:12it's quite difficult to know where to begin.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15You may hear whispers, but no-one really tells you,
0:07:15 > 0:07:18"This is how you get buyers to see your work."
0:07:18 > 0:07:20So that's the thing I'm most excited about,
0:07:20 > 0:07:22just to actually hear how do artists make a living.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25Because there's this title, "the struggling artist", but...
0:07:25 > 0:07:29You don't want to fulfil that stereotype.
0:07:29 > 0:07:31It's 2017! I can't be struggling.
0:07:31 > 0:07:36I need to actually progress and see how...how to make it a career.
0:07:36 > 0:07:40Because that's the dream, isn't it, just be paid to make work.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46While Abbas and Khadija are preparing to pack their bags,
0:07:46 > 0:07:50another of the emerging artists is already in Venice, where she has
0:07:50 > 0:07:54been creating a new site-specific work for the past two weeks.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57Barbara Walker uses charcoal to draw directly onto walls,
0:07:57 > 0:08:00making intricate, yet epic depictions
0:08:00 > 0:08:03of neglected figures from black British history.
0:08:03 > 0:08:05In Venice, she's marking the contribution of the
0:08:05 > 0:08:10British West Indies Regiment who served in the First World War.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13Barbara's been a professional artist in her home city
0:08:13 > 0:08:14of Birmingham for over 20 years,
0:08:14 > 0:08:17but she's still little-known outside of the Midlands.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22I don't regard myself as an emerging artist.
0:08:22 > 0:08:28But outside of certain frameworks I will be regarded as emerging.
0:08:28 > 0:08:33How do you cross over and be seen more visible within that field?
0:08:33 > 0:08:36That is the difficulty.
0:08:36 > 0:08:40I'm trying to understand how the system works.
0:08:40 > 0:08:42I want people to see my work.
0:08:42 > 0:08:45And it seems as though I have to go to the market,
0:08:45 > 0:08:49either if it's London or international.
0:08:49 > 0:08:53You need to be out there, you need to be pushing your practice.
0:08:53 > 0:08:57Kind of an exhibitionist which is not me, but...!
0:08:59 > 0:09:02Barbara's new work has particular significance for Venice.
0:09:02 > 0:09:05While researching, she discovered that at the end of the war,
0:09:05 > 0:09:08the British West Indies Regiment were transferred to Italy,
0:09:08 > 0:09:10where the endured racial discrimination,
0:09:10 > 0:09:14leading to a violent event, little remembered in the history books.
0:09:16 > 0:09:17There was resentment.
0:09:17 > 0:09:19There was an uprising.
0:09:19 > 0:09:20There was revolt.
0:09:20 > 0:09:21There was mutiny.
0:09:21 > 0:09:24They were arrested.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27The ringleaders were sentenced.
0:09:27 > 0:09:31These individuals volunteered their service and were mistreated
0:09:31 > 0:09:34and I wanted to give them their final parade,
0:09:34 > 0:09:36because they were denied that.
0:09:37 > 0:09:39And this is it.
0:09:41 > 0:09:45It's almost time for the first-ever Diaspora Pavilion to open.
0:09:45 > 0:09:49And the artists are arriving to install their finished pieces.
0:09:49 > 0:09:53The exhibition will showcase 11 emerging British talents who have
0:09:53 > 0:09:57each created new work influenced by their diverse heritage.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01So, we're halfway through the installation process.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04Juggling lots of things at the moment.
0:10:04 > 0:10:06It still looks like a bit of a building site
0:10:06 > 0:10:09and there's just stuff everywhere.
0:10:09 > 0:10:11So it's really difficult to kind of get
0:10:11 > 0:10:15a clear sense of how pristine all of this will look.
0:10:16 > 0:10:18And they haven't got long.
0:10:18 > 0:10:20It's the beginning of the opening week.
0:10:20 > 0:10:21For the next seven months,
0:10:21 > 0:10:25many of the grand palazzos of Venice transform into art galleries
0:10:25 > 0:10:28and the Diaspora Pavilion is taking residence
0:10:28 > 0:10:30in Palazzo Pisani Santa Marina,
0:10:30 > 0:10:33near to the Rialto Bridge.
0:10:33 > 0:10:34CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
0:10:34 > 0:10:36- Hey!- Hi.
0:10:36 > 0:10:38- You're here!- Yes.
0:10:38 > 0:10:42I've arrived to meet the artists before they make their debut.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45I've got to say, Khadija, they look amazing on the wall, they really do.
0:10:45 > 0:10:48- Are you happy? - Yeah, extremely happy.
0:10:48 > 0:10:49It's actually real now.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54Soon the press and public will have their say on the pavilion,
0:10:54 > 0:10:57but for tonight, I want to take the artists out
0:10:57 > 0:11:00so they can let their hair down and soak in this experience.
0:11:00 > 0:11:04It's not every day an artist makes their Venice debut.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07We're on our way to experience the other thing the Biennale's
0:11:07 > 0:11:09famous for - the parties!
0:11:10 > 0:11:13We've come to a VIP launch event at one of the most prestigious
0:11:13 > 0:11:16addresses on the Grand Canal - the Peggy Guggenheim Gallery.
0:11:17 > 0:11:21For the artists, this isn't just about fun, this is work.
0:11:21 > 0:11:23It's their chance to meet the taste makers,
0:11:23 > 0:11:28curators and collectors, to mingle and make contacts.
0:11:28 > 0:11:31The parties are the core of the Venice Biennale in a way.
0:11:31 > 0:11:34It's all about social networking, who you're going to meet,
0:11:34 > 0:11:36where you're going to find them, who's going where.
0:11:36 > 0:11:39Whether you're invited - that's the very big one.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42Are you going to have to queue? Can you get a water taxi?
0:11:42 > 0:11:44Those are the real questions!
0:11:46 > 0:11:49And for an artist looking to boost their profile, like Barbara,
0:11:49 > 0:11:53this is a prime opportunity to break into this exclusive network.
0:11:55 > 0:11:57When you thought about being part of the Diaspora Pavilion,
0:11:57 > 0:12:00what did you want, what was the outcome that you wanted from it?
0:12:00 > 0:12:02I think the ultimately it's visibility.
0:12:02 > 0:12:07The idea of the artist working in the studio doesn't exist.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10It's an old romantic notion.
0:12:10 > 0:12:14I think artists need to be visible, they need to be proactive.
0:12:14 > 0:12:15And they need to get out there.
0:12:15 > 0:12:16Have you pinpointed people
0:12:16 > 0:12:18that you want to go and speak to specifically?
0:12:18 > 0:12:20- Oh, yeah. There's a few! - SHE LAUGHS
0:12:20 > 0:12:23- I'm not saying. - How are you going to approach it?
0:12:23 > 0:12:25Are you just going to go up to them after your martini?
0:12:25 > 0:12:28Or have you got a strategy?
0:12:28 > 0:12:31It's having a conversation.
0:12:31 > 0:12:34It's a platform to get close.
0:12:34 > 0:12:36And have a conversation and it's a relationship.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39And let's see what happens, what materialises from it.
0:12:39 > 0:12:42Well, I think you should go and schmooze while you've got a moment.
0:12:42 > 0:12:44- Off you go, woman!- Definitely.
0:12:44 > 0:12:46Take your drink and off you go!
0:12:46 > 0:12:48They don't hang around, these artsy people. THEY LAUGH
0:12:48 > 0:12:51Shoo! See you later.
0:13:13 > 0:13:17The official opening day of the Biennale has finally arrived
0:13:17 > 0:13:19and while the emerging artists
0:13:19 > 0:13:21put the final touches to their exhibition,
0:13:21 > 0:13:23I'm heading out to the Giardini -
0:13:23 > 0:13:25the grand park where the Biennale was born.
0:13:27 > 0:13:30I think any emerging artist has real difficulty in getting
0:13:30 > 0:13:32their work shown in Venice.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35It's been running since 1895.
0:13:36 > 0:13:38Used to be a rather narrow group of artists
0:13:38 > 0:13:40and countries that were represented.
0:13:40 > 0:13:42If you go to the Giardini,
0:13:42 > 0:13:47you see all those countries that built pavilions in the 1920s, '30s.
0:13:48 > 0:13:53The big country pavilions tend to promote artists who are quite well
0:13:53 > 0:13:56known within their own country, so it's very, very competitive.
0:13:58 > 0:14:01The official British Pavilion is this year represented by
0:14:01 > 0:14:05celebrated artist, Phyllida Barlow, who has filled every inch
0:14:05 > 0:14:08with her trademark monumental, yet playful sculptures.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15But the pavilion drawing big queues,
0:14:15 > 0:14:19and even bigger celebrity names belongs to Mark Bradford,
0:14:19 > 0:14:21who's representing the United States of America
0:14:21 > 0:14:25but using his pavilion to question the state of America.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29The exterior has become a rubbish strewn ruin.
0:14:31 > 0:14:34Inside, ceilings collapse and walls decay.
0:14:36 > 0:14:40His abstract paintings draw from his disadvantaged upbringing in
0:14:40 > 0:14:44downtown Los Angeles, incorporating discarded paper,
0:14:44 > 0:14:47rubbish and waste collected from the streets he grew up in.
0:14:49 > 0:14:52One thing you do very well and has become part of your signature
0:14:52 > 0:14:55is moving the marginalised to centre stage,
0:14:55 > 0:14:56putting them in the spotlight.
0:14:56 > 0:14:59- Has that always been part of your mission, part of your journey?- Yes.
0:14:59 > 0:15:01That's what it means.
0:15:01 > 0:15:02I wasn't exactly born on the margin,
0:15:02 > 0:15:06but somewhere very early they put me on the margin for being different.
0:15:06 > 0:15:08I didn't even understand what that was.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11I didn't understand what that meant.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14But they said, "People like you, sissy, the sissy boy,
0:15:14 > 0:15:16"people like you, you belong on the margin,
0:15:16 > 0:15:19"which means there's little, there's less help and support for you,
0:15:19 > 0:15:21"so you're going to have to figure it out,
0:15:21 > 0:15:23"and if something happens to you, that's just...
0:15:23 > 0:15:25"You know, good luck with that."
0:15:25 > 0:15:27And I got that message real early.
0:15:27 > 0:15:29And I never asked for it.
0:15:29 > 0:15:31Just like the colour of your skin and someone makes
0:15:31 > 0:15:33a racial slur, you're just you.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39But I think I always thought that that was not fair.
0:15:41 > 0:15:43Since gaining success as an artist,
0:15:43 > 0:15:46Mark has used his profile to launch Art + Practice,
0:15:46 > 0:15:50a Los Angeles-based scheme for young people coming out of foster care
0:15:50 > 0:15:53which uses art and creative engagement as tools
0:15:53 > 0:15:55to enable social change.
0:15:57 > 0:15:59Did you find keeping art within, contemporary art
0:15:59 > 0:16:01within the community, did it transform lives in the way that art
0:16:01 > 0:16:04has transformed your life? Did you have to...?
0:16:04 > 0:16:07Well, they are definitely part of the debate.
0:16:07 > 0:16:10I mean, I like when I have a show and it's all black artists.
0:16:10 > 0:16:11There's no figuration.
0:16:11 > 0:16:14Some people walk in and go, "Well, this is not black art."
0:16:14 > 0:16:18I say, "Well, yes, it is. He's black. And that's black art."
0:16:18 > 0:16:19I never had a problem being black.
0:16:19 > 0:16:21I was just so surprised how everything,
0:16:21 > 0:16:24everybody wanted to reduce it down to like, One Channel or Two Channel.
0:16:24 > 0:16:28I was like, "Well, how come we don't have 15 channels like everybody else?"
0:16:28 > 0:16:31We're messy and as complicated as anybody else.
0:16:31 > 0:16:32When I decided to be an abstract painter
0:16:32 > 0:16:35it's because I needed to have, to create a space for me
0:16:35 > 0:16:38to interrogate ideas without people tell me who I was.
0:16:38 > 0:16:41"OK, you're gay, let's talk about being gay and it looks like this."
0:16:41 > 0:16:44"Oh, you're black or you're from..." Well, I said, "Whoa, whoa, whoa.
0:16:44 > 0:16:46"I'll tell YOU what it means to me."
0:16:46 > 0:16:49- Has profile and success allowed you to do that?- No!
0:16:49 > 0:16:51It's just me slowly gaining my voice.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54I mean, right now it's just having conversations.
0:16:55 > 0:16:57I think that vulnerability at this moment in time
0:16:57 > 0:16:59can bring people together.
0:16:59 > 0:17:01We've got to come out of being so cool, you know.
0:17:01 > 0:17:04IMITATES SUCKING IN SHARPLY ON A CIGARETTE AND BLOWING OUT
0:17:04 > 0:17:05It's just not the moment for cool.
0:17:05 > 0:17:08Stop being so cool. This is the moment for talking.
0:17:08 > 0:17:10Talking with each other, about our fears.
0:17:10 > 0:17:12Because we're all a little nervous right now.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15So if you're not a little nervous, what's wrong with you, girl?
0:17:15 > 0:17:18- SHE LAUGHS - Do you know? That's just how I feel.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25The conversation at the heart of this year's Biennale is
0:17:25 > 0:17:26how to open up the art world.
0:17:28 > 0:17:31Can this really be called the Olympics of art
0:17:31 > 0:17:34when only six out of 54 African nations have taken part?
0:17:35 > 0:17:38But today a seventh arrives and I'm taking Khadija for a tour.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43Now we're on our way to the Nigerian Pavilion.
0:17:43 > 0:17:45It's their debut as well as yours.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48- How excited are you about seeing this stuff?- It's a blessing, really.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51It's all... It's like the reason why I'm here.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54It's not just my thing, but it's a thing of culture and the fact
0:17:54 > 0:17:56that all our voices are being heard.
0:17:59 > 0:18:02The exhibition How About Now is a group show,
0:18:02 > 0:18:05reflecting the complexities of modern day Nigeria.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14The central exhibit is a new sculpture entitled
0:18:14 > 0:18:16Flying Girls by Peju Alatise.
0:18:17 > 0:18:21Flying Girls was inspired by the encounter I had in a friend's
0:18:21 > 0:18:25house where she had an underage domestic servant,
0:18:25 > 0:18:26who took care of her kids
0:18:26 > 0:18:29that were about the same age as this child.
0:18:29 > 0:18:31She washed, she cooked, she cleaned.
0:18:31 > 0:18:35She told me she was happy and she called this woman "Mummy".
0:18:35 > 0:18:39So I have this child that I'm talking to who thinks it's fantastic
0:18:39 > 0:18:43to be a housekeeper at the age of nine.
0:18:43 > 0:18:45There are many children that go through the abuse.
0:18:45 > 0:18:47There are many children that are married off,
0:18:47 > 0:18:50and to a great extent it's legal in Nigeria.
0:18:50 > 0:18:56What I'm trying to do is reflect my experiences and reflect the world.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58RECORDING OF GIRLS SINGING RHYMES
0:18:59 > 0:19:01No one African country is the same.
0:19:01 > 0:19:03And so it's really important
0:19:03 > 0:19:05for as many African countries as possible
0:19:05 > 0:19:09to be here to tell their own story, the way they know how to do it best.
0:19:09 > 0:19:12Otherwise, you know, it gets lost in translation by somebody else
0:19:12 > 0:19:14who doesn't understand where you're from.
0:19:14 > 0:19:16And I'm hoping that through our presence here,
0:19:16 > 0:19:21more African countries feel the need and the urge to be here as well.
0:19:21 > 0:19:25So, Khadija, what impact has seeing something like the Nigerian Pavilion had on you?
0:19:25 > 0:19:27It was really emotional. I found coming here,
0:19:27 > 0:19:29coming here seeing a West African country,
0:19:29 > 0:19:32because I'm from Gambia, and seeing these amazing works,
0:19:32 > 0:19:34and specifically the work of Peju,
0:19:34 > 0:19:37really evoked a very visceral reaction.
0:19:37 > 0:19:41When I saw the work, I just saw my mum. I saw her when she was younger.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45You're saying, this is what's happening in Nigeria.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48These are the different stories and I'm going to present them.
0:19:48 > 0:19:49And take it as you wish.
0:19:49 > 0:19:52I'm really excited by it and I'm hoping one day, you know,
0:19:52 > 0:19:54- Gambia can have a pavilion. - That would be amazing, yes.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57Seems like you've already done your job! THEY ALL LAUGH
0:20:03 > 0:20:06In a few hours, the Diaspora Pavilion will open its doors
0:20:06 > 0:20:10to the press and the installers are finished in the nick of time.
0:20:11 > 0:20:16The exhibition stretches across 12 rooms, packed with sculpture...
0:20:17 > 0:20:21..paintings, and installations from the emerging artists.
0:20:23 > 0:20:27Showing alongside them are pieces by acclaimed artists like
0:20:27 > 0:20:31Sokari Douglas Camp, Isaac Julien and Yinka Shonibare,
0:20:31 > 0:20:34who over the next year are involved in mentorship roles.
0:20:36 > 0:20:38Yinka's piece, The British Library,
0:20:38 > 0:20:41is made up of thousands of books displaying the names of
0:20:41 > 0:20:44British figures with diverse heritage
0:20:44 > 0:20:48as well as those who have opposed immigration.
0:20:48 > 0:20:50Though my parents are Nigerian,
0:20:50 > 0:20:53I grew up in London and also in Nigeria and
0:20:53 > 0:20:59so the work is an expression of my own history and identity.
0:20:59 > 0:21:01You know, talent is not based on where you're from
0:21:01 > 0:21:03or what your background is,
0:21:03 > 0:21:07the art world should reflect the society that we live in and
0:21:07 > 0:21:11I'm hoping that with an exhibition like this, people will become
0:21:11 > 0:21:15more aware and provide that platform for the younger generations.
0:21:15 > 0:21:17Now, you're here as an established artist,
0:21:17 > 0:21:19but also a mentor of emerging artists.
0:21:19 > 0:21:22How important and significant do you think this experience is for them?
0:21:22 > 0:21:25I've been mentoring an artist called Kimathi Donkar.
0:21:25 > 0:21:27We've had some great conversations
0:21:27 > 0:21:30and we will be having further meetings.
0:21:30 > 0:21:35So the mentoring doesn't actually stop at the exhibition.
0:21:35 > 0:21:37It does continue for about a whole year.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40It's very important to pass on the baton, you know,
0:21:40 > 0:21:44otherwise the whole contemporary art will just die out.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50If you want to discover emerging talent in Venice,
0:21:50 > 0:21:54you have to explore unusual venues in out of the way spots.
0:21:55 > 0:21:57Abbas is figuring out the next step for his art,
0:21:57 > 0:22:00so he's heading out to find inspiration.
0:22:03 > 0:22:05I mean, the question of how,
0:22:05 > 0:22:09you know, an artist emerges and how an artist becomes visible,
0:22:09 > 0:22:12I think there isn't really, you know, a recipe.
0:22:12 > 0:22:14You know, "Etonne-moi" - surprise me.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17And I think this idea, you know, it's always very difficult,
0:22:17 > 0:22:18because art always changes.
0:22:18 > 0:22:21But I think that's what one could say, you know, "Surprise us!"
0:22:24 > 0:22:28First stop is the Iraqi Pavilion in an old disused library
0:22:28 > 0:22:30where contemporary art from Iraq is laid out
0:22:30 > 0:22:34alongside ancient artefacts from the Museum of Baghdad.
0:22:36 > 0:22:38I love the use of the space here.
0:22:38 > 0:22:40It's been put together really well.
0:22:40 > 0:22:43And the fact that we're in a library speaks a lot to me
0:22:43 > 0:22:45because all the books have gone, it's empty,
0:22:45 > 0:22:48and it kind of has a resonance for the kind of situation that Iraq is in at the moment.
0:22:52 > 0:22:55Next up are art provocateurs, Iceland.
0:22:55 > 0:23:00This year represented by two giant trolls called Ugh and Boogar.
0:23:01 > 0:23:03All I know at this stage is trolls.
0:23:03 > 0:23:06But it could be anything, really so, who knows?
0:23:07 > 0:23:09Hi. Would you like a coffee?
0:23:09 > 0:23:11Yes, please, can I have an espresso?
0:23:11 > 0:23:13Yes, sure. Here's your coffee.
0:23:13 > 0:23:18I'm hungry!
0:23:21 > 0:23:23I met those trolls in 2008
0:23:23 > 0:23:26and its two of them, Ugh and Boogar.
0:23:26 > 0:23:30They're 36 metres tall.
0:23:30 > 0:23:34They've been living in Iceland for a long time in this gigantic cave.
0:23:34 > 0:23:38And up to now they've just been eating badly behaved children
0:23:38 > 0:23:39on Christmas.
0:23:39 > 0:23:41BREAKS WIND
0:23:41 > 0:23:44Did you just fart?
0:23:44 > 0:23:47Yes. I always do when I eat Americans.
0:23:47 > 0:23:49They're so full of sugar!
0:23:51 > 0:23:54I've met Abbas for the final stop on his tour -
0:23:54 > 0:23:57the Scottish Pavilion inside a consecrated church.
0:23:57 > 0:24:00It's a twisted take on Pinocchio,
0:24:00 > 0:24:03created by and starring artist Rachel Maclean,
0:24:03 > 0:24:06whose films have divided critics but made her
0:24:06 > 0:24:09a rising star of British art.
0:24:09 > 0:24:12The only way out is up.
0:24:12 > 0:24:14And it's not heaven.
0:24:14 > 0:24:16It's a new world.
0:24:19 > 0:24:22Truth - I pick.
0:24:23 > 0:24:25I kind of came upon the idea of Pinocchio when I was in
0:24:25 > 0:24:28Venice and a lot of my work uses fairy tales as
0:24:28 > 0:24:30a kind of basis for talking about things
0:24:30 > 0:24:32which are politically current.
0:24:32 > 0:24:36And it was shortly after Brexit and shortly after Trump
0:24:36 > 0:24:38got in in America and a lot of it from me
0:24:38 > 0:24:41was kind of processing that and feeling that, you know,
0:24:41 > 0:24:43it was a scary time and in many ways
0:24:43 > 0:24:47a disturbing time, but an interesting time to be an artist.
0:24:47 > 0:24:50You've seen three pavilions today. Has it been insightful?
0:24:50 > 0:24:54It's been crazy! But good. Very good.
0:24:54 > 0:24:57I mean in terms of my own work, so much of what I've been doing
0:24:57 > 0:25:00has been off the radar, quite independent.
0:25:00 > 0:25:03And so, just to be here and to see people in
0:25:03 > 0:25:08a contemporary way redefining the notion of the space for art
0:25:08 > 0:25:10and where my practice fits into that.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13So that's kind of what I'm kind of trying to work out at the moment.
0:25:13 > 0:25:17A lot of ideas to go back with and I love being here.
0:25:17 > 0:25:18And I hope to come back now more often.
0:25:18 > 0:25:21It's my first time, but not the last time, I hope.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29It's time to head back for the moment of truth.
0:25:29 > 0:25:32The Diaspora Pavilion is opening its doors and the art world
0:25:32 > 0:25:35has turned out in force to see Sir Nicholas Serota
0:25:35 > 0:25:37give the opening speech.
0:25:38 > 0:25:41We're really, really thrilled to see so many people here for really what
0:25:41 > 0:25:45I think is a very, very important exhibition.
0:25:45 > 0:25:49British talent is really, really rich
0:25:49 > 0:25:51and we need to make sure that we find ways of showing it.
0:25:51 > 0:25:57And this project does that, I think, in the most remarkable way.
0:25:57 > 0:25:59CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
0:26:01 > 0:26:03I can't believe that from
0:26:03 > 0:26:07a small idea and a conversation ten years ago
0:26:07 > 0:26:10that this has finally happened!
0:26:10 > 0:26:13And there's a real buzz across the city.
0:26:14 > 0:26:18Curators are coming up to me from Canada, from America saying,
0:26:18 > 0:26:20"Who is that guy?" "This is brilliant."
0:26:24 > 0:26:26This is an incredible exhibition.
0:26:26 > 0:26:27It's a great new pavilion,
0:26:27 > 0:26:30and a very urgent pavilion for... for Venice.
0:26:30 > 0:26:33But of course for me, particularly exciting
0:26:33 > 0:26:35to meet emerging artists whom I haven't met before,
0:26:35 > 0:26:38so it's also a great discovery.
0:26:39 > 0:26:43The exhibition is open and it's officially a hit,
0:26:43 > 0:26:46with people queueing just to get in.
0:26:46 > 0:26:48People are calling us the whole ticket.
0:26:48 > 0:26:50And, you know, I mean...
0:26:50 > 0:26:54Look around you - there's masses of people!
0:26:54 > 0:26:58This has now become the number one pavilion to see at Venice.
0:26:58 > 0:27:02So for them to have that kind of recognition,
0:27:02 > 0:27:06they must be inspired, they must gain confidence from that.
0:27:06 > 0:27:09The hard work has paid off and all that's left is for the
0:27:09 > 0:27:13artists to relax and enjoy being the toast of Venice.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16It's opened up a lot of opportunities,
0:27:16 > 0:27:19but ultimately, I'm happy.
0:27:19 > 0:27:22I'm happy that the work has a presence.
0:27:22 > 0:27:26A new audience. And the experience here has been great.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29You said that you wanted to celebrate these characters,
0:27:29 > 0:27:32to give them their parade. Do you feel you've done that now?
0:27:32 > 0:27:33I think I've achieved that.
0:27:33 > 0:27:35I mean, look at them. They are powerful.
0:27:35 > 0:27:36They're making a statement.
0:27:36 > 0:27:38And hopefully, even though I'll remove the work,
0:27:38 > 0:27:42it will stay within the minds of the viewer.
0:27:42 > 0:27:47It's meant to. So, that's the legacy to the work.
0:27:53 > 0:27:57So, from Hackney, your saffron beer has finally has finally made to Venice.
0:27:57 > 0:27:59- I want to taste it.- OK. - SHE LAUGHS
0:27:59 > 0:28:02- What's the response been like here? - I think it's been great.
0:28:02 > 0:28:06I haven't had a chance to talk to everyone, but I hope they like it.
0:28:06 > 0:28:10I'm curious to see who helps themselves. It's quite ambiguous.
0:28:10 > 0:28:12My face is on the bottle, so if anyone needs to ask,
0:28:12 > 0:28:13they should be able to find me.
0:28:13 > 0:28:16- It was worth the journey. It's lovely.- Thank you.
0:28:21 > 0:28:23Considering the big names that are in town,
0:28:23 > 0:28:25people are queueing to see you guys.
0:28:25 > 0:28:27That must be quite a big...
0:28:27 > 0:28:29It's amazing when people come up to you,
0:28:29 > 0:28:31and people that I don't know just saying,
0:28:31 > 0:28:33"It's amazing. Are you happy with the work?"
0:28:33 > 0:28:36It feels really good. My heart is so full. It's just amazing.
0:28:36 > 0:28:40Not to overwhelm you even more but we've heard there's huge interest in
0:28:40 > 0:28:42your work, someone thinking of buying the whole collection.
0:28:42 > 0:28:46I've heard. And I... Can you say that again for me?
0:28:46 > 0:28:47THEY LAUGH
0:28:47 > 0:28:49Because it feels really good to hear.
0:28:49 > 0:28:52It made me slightly teary having got to know you.
0:28:52 > 0:28:55Well, I heard it, I was like, "Oh, no, the waterworks are coming..."
0:28:55 > 0:28:59So the Khadija heading back to West London, what's she like?
0:28:59 > 0:29:01She's an artist at the Biennale.
0:29:04 > 0:29:06That's who she is and I can say that proudly.
0:29:09 > 0:29:10I'm really proud of you.
0:29:10 > 0:29:12We're the number one pavilion to see at Venice.
0:29:12 > 0:29:14We're the hottest tickets.
0:29:14 > 0:29:17Your journey can only get better and better. Well done!
0:29:17 > 0:29:20CHEERING
0:30:08 > 0:30:10Khadija came back from Venice
0:30:10 > 0:30:17and had several weeks of nonstop meetings with museum directors.
0:30:17 > 0:30:23She was getting e-mails from people asking her to go to New York.
0:30:24 > 0:30:26She said, "This is all my dreams come true."
0:30:26 > 0:30:28She was absolutely delighted.
0:30:28 > 0:30:30From the moment I met Khadija,
0:30:30 > 0:30:34she was very articulate about the particular
0:30:34 > 0:30:39issues for growing up in a low-income ethnic minority home.
0:30:39 > 0:30:44Events and funds are already being set up in her name.
0:30:44 > 0:30:49She would be very proud that other people in the future might
0:30:49 > 0:30:52be able to be helped in the way that she was helped
0:30:52 > 0:30:54and that is an incredible legacy for Khadijah.
0:30:56 > 0:31:00So it's Khadijah the emerging artist that's heading to Venice.
0:31:00 > 0:31:02Years down the line,
0:31:02 > 0:31:06what will Khadija the professional photographer be doing?
0:31:06 > 0:31:08I'd like to say the same thing.
0:31:08 > 0:31:12Like, whether it's now or in ten years down the line,
0:31:12 > 0:31:16I want to make sure that I'm staying true to myself.
0:31:16 > 0:31:21And this idea of opening doors, how previous artists of colour have
0:31:21 > 0:31:25opened the doors, I'd like to think I have the potential to do the same.
0:31:26 > 0:31:29Going to an art gallery or going to a museum,
0:31:29 > 0:31:31it's not really a diverse crowd.
0:31:31 > 0:31:35It's very much you count the amount of people that are black
0:31:35 > 0:31:37or people of colour in the room.
0:31:37 > 0:31:41This step of being in Venice is a way of crossing that bridge.
0:31:41 > 0:31:44If I can do it, then all my friends can do it.
0:31:44 > 0:31:46As they say, if you don't see yourself represented,
0:31:46 > 0:31:48then you don't think you can do it.
0:31:48 > 0:31:52It's this idea of, like, opening the door for others
0:31:52 > 0:31:53for the next generation.
0:31:55 > 0:31:58For me, she came to personify
0:31:58 > 0:32:02the whole point of having a Diaspora Pavilion.
0:32:02 > 0:32:06I hope and think that her story
0:32:06 > 0:32:10will inspire many other young women
0:32:10 > 0:32:14living in modest circumstances across the country
0:32:14 > 0:32:19to really believe that they can achieve, and they can do it.
0:32:19 > 0:32:24What the art world can do now is recognise that there are many,
0:32:24 > 0:32:26many more Khadijas.
0:32:26 > 0:32:29And what they need is action.
0:32:29 > 0:32:35Real action. And if you're moved by Khadija's story,
0:32:35 > 0:32:36the time has come to step up.
0:32:38 > 0:32:41It's this idea that I'm visible, which is
0:32:41 > 0:32:46a big thing because a lot of the time people make art
0:32:46 > 0:32:49and no-one gets to see it all - it's hidden under the bed,
0:32:49 > 0:32:51or it's such a personal thing.
0:32:51 > 0:32:55So the fact I can say I'm actually visible, you can actually see it
0:32:55 > 0:32:57at a specific location
0:32:57 > 0:33:01is a very real thing, and very validating as well.
0:33:01 > 0:33:04It's something I don't take for granted.