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Visual Arts Daniel Meadows: Early Photographic Works Library of Birmingham, until Sun 17 August One of the most influential figures to emerge from the new wave of British independent photography in the 1970s, Daniel Meadows is best known for his landmark Free Photographic Omnibus project. The project saw Meadows convert a double decker bus into a darkroom and living space and head out on a ten thousand-mile odyssey across Britain, during the course of which he photographed almost one thousand people from twenty-two towns. The result was an astonishing record of urban society in the UK, with Meadows further adding to his project’s relevance by interviewing and writing about his subjects. Alongside examples from his Omnibus project, the exhibition also features Butlins At Filey and June Street, two other renowned bodies of work by Meadows. The Library of Birmingham is currently in the process of acquiring Meadows’ entire photography archive. 100 Days: The Rwandan Genocide Twenty Years Later Herbert Art Gallery & Museum, Coventry, until Thurs 30 April, 2015 The statistics connected to the atrocities which took place in Rwanda two decades ago make for shocking reading. During the one hundred-day conflict in 1994, precipitated by the shooting down of a plane carrying the Rwandan and Burundian president, eight hundred thousand people were murdered and five hundred thousand women raped. As a result of the rapes, an estimated twenty thousand children were born. This stark and sobering exhibition explores the origins, duration and aftermath of one of the darkest periods in Africa’s history, addressing the subject of sexual violence by examining concepts of survival, bravery, acceptance and empowerment. The display makes use of photographic, digital and installation works from a selection of international contemporary artists to give voice to the women who lived through the conflict. Image credit: Saida in Green, 2000 by Hassan Hajjaj © the artist / Victoria & Albert Museum, London. Art Fund Collection of Middle Eastern Photography at the V&A and the British Museum. True To Life? New Photography From The Middle East Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, Sat 7 June - Sun 2 November The question of authenticity lies at the heart of this new exhibition by photographers from the Middle East, with viewers invited to explore the issue of what’s real, what’s staged and what’s imaginary in the photos on display. Works on show are by both established and emerging photographers, and include a selection of loaned photos from the British and Victoria & Albert museums, as well as from Birmingham’s own collection. Commenting on the exhibition, Rebecca Bridgman, Curator of Islamic & South Asian Art at Birmingham Museums, said: “We’re delighted to be displaying this incredible collection of photography to our visitors. The exhibition showcases one of the most exciting artistic mediums emerging from the Middle East, providing an insight into the region’s rapidly-evolving social and political landscapes.” Lasting Impressions: 20th Century Portrait Prints The Barber Institute, Birmingham, Fri 6 June - Sun 28 September Printmaking as an artform has had a chequered past. Although once highly regarded, by the early twentieth century technological changes had severely compromised its status - so much so, in fact, that it was viewed merely as a process of reproduction rather than as art. In response to this situation, numerous artists revived the discipline’s traditional techniques, with later-twentieth century work becoming ever more experimental and unorthodox, often with dramatic results. Featuring everything from etchings to a plasticine print, Lasting Impressions brings together works that document the renaissance of the portrait print, from the early twentieth century to the present day. Along the way, the exhibition takes a look at how artists have used different print processes to convey the personalities and circumstances of such colourful sitters as Quentin Crisp, Lucian Freud, Frank Bruno, Robert Plant - and even an entire House of Commons! www.whatsonlive.co.uk 53