Blackpop

Acutely aware of how popular culture acts as a carrier of social prejudice and invective, Merali's work is exercised specifically by the racial and racist content of popular culture.

Whether it's his series of life-size black paper constructions of black celebrities or his use of flowerpots and toys to represent people of color, Merali explores and questions the relationship between racist desire and disgust, between consumer goods and art fetishes, between the sweet icing of kitsch and brutal racist violence. Through his work, it becomes clear that the most trivial objects of amusement carry an inordinate wealth of history, knowledge and prejudice.

Shaheen Merali, artist and curator, is Head of the Department of Exhibition, Film and New Media at the House of World Cultures in Berlin. He has exhibited internationally, in cities such as Barcelona, London, New York City (Queens Museum of Art and Bronx Museum), Singapore and Vienna.