Hew Locke – what have we here?

Contemporary artist Hew Locke uses the British Museum’s collection as a springboard to explore themes of colonialism and cultural interactions. He is interested in dissecting the messy and complex ways in which museums are implicated in histories of empire. The British Museum’s history and collections are closely linked to those of the British Empire, which this book addresses alongside a consideration of today’s often contentious and deeply felt debates around cultural heritage. Focusing on Britain’s historic interactions with Africa, India and the Caribbean from around 1600 onwards, Locke creates a personal exploration of the subject, weaving in his own works such as the Souvenir series and a new commission titled The Watchers. Using interventionist techniques to reframe the collection’s historical objects, Locke hopes to leave readers with more questions than answers.