4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art Presents BOLLYWOULDN'T

4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art presents Bollywouldn't, the highly-anticipated solo exhibition by Goan Australian artist TextaQueen celebrating the queer South Asian diaspora. Launching on Saturday 22 October, the show features newly-commissioned works that decolonise and reclaim institutions and the imagery of Bollywood film genres.

Supported through the Copyright Agency Partnerships (CAP) commission series, Bollywouldn't is on at 4A from 22 October - 18 December 2022.

Bollywouldn't is a balm to the displacement of diaspora. Bollywouldn't deconstructs all the '-isms' in the Bollywood genre, giving agency back to South Asians, particularly those marginalised within our cultures through our sexuality and gender. This major commission echoes TextaQueen's enduring practice of connecting with communities using texta as a mechanism to bring people together.

TextaQueen says "Dreaming up Bollywoudn't, I was inspired by the connections I made in London during my ACME residency with queer and trans South Asian communities and the forces of disruption and reclamation that are so familiar to anti-colonial movements. Imagining new worlds, Bollywouldn't asks us questions and offers riddles - the only way to really parlay with power. These narratives are right at home at 4A, and I'm chuffed to be presenting Bollywouldn't with support from the Copyright Agency Partnerships commission."

Through portraiture, photography, mural painting and projection, Bollywouldn't presents decolonial narratives and the reclamation of power and space by South Asian diaspora. TextaQueen's portraits of queer South Asian community have been digitally mapped onto buildings in and around London, creating the illusion that they exist as actual murals on a monumental scale against colonial structures.

Curator and 4A's Artistic Director and CEO, Amrit Gill, says "4A is an Asian-led organisation that champions the work of artists from Asia and the Asian diaspora. We are thrilled to be presenting this major commission by TextaQueen, an artist who for the past 20 years has been a leading voice in Australia's South Asian contemporary arts community. Through Bollywouldn't, we open our arms and our space to the queer South Asian diaspora to engage with the exhibition and public programs - to make 4A a space for togetherness."

Copyright Agency CEO, Josephine Johnston, says "We are looking forward to seeing the inaugural Copyright Agency Partnership (CAP) commission for TextaQueen realised in their Bollywouldn't exhibition at 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art. CAP provides a significant opportunity for an Australian visual artist to create and exhibit a new commission, work with curators at a major gallery and be promoted to Australian audiences."

Accompanying the exhibition is a dynamic community engagement program encompassing performance, music, food, literature and conversation, curated by Shareeka Helaluddin and featuring artists Party Office HQ, Merph, Rashna, Naz, Kinergy, Vishnu Arunasalam, Shoeb Ahmed, Priyanka Bromhead, Shahmen Suku, BINDI BOSSES, Shyamla Eswaran, Rakish, badgalcovphephe, Papaphilia, Mārā Māyā Dēvi, INDEX, Hana Shimada and Priya Panchalingan. The program kicks off with To accept and receive fruits and water, across the weekend of 22-23 October.

The exhibition publication, edited by G.B Krishnan, launches on 19 November, and features texts by TextaQueen, G.B. Krishnan, Yalini Dream, Kareem Khubchandani, YSK Prerana, Nazmia Jamal, Heena Patel, Humaira Saeed, Nandani Bharrat, Christopher Kirubi, Devi Peacock, Madhuraa Prakash, Sabah Choudrey and Shama Khanna.

TextaQueen: Bollywouldn't is the inaugural recipient of the Copyright Agency Partnerships commission, an annual series to support major commissions for mid-career and established visual artists in partnership with leading cultural organisations around Australia.

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