“13 Years”
Samira Farah, Patrick Jonathan and Guled Abdulwasi
14 May → 27 June 2021

Photograph of a 1983 house-party in Sydney, Australia, to welcome touring artist Peter Tosh. Image courtesy of the personal archives of Patrick Jonathan.

13 Years explores the power of community and independent radio, and provides a small window into Black African political and cultural history in Sydney and Canberra during the 1980s and 1990s.

Drawing from personal history alongside archival research and set against the context of immigration and the anti-apartheid struggle,13 Years forefronts Black sonics within liberation and migration movements of the African diaspora. Samira Farah brings these archives into conversation with contemporary political and cultural movements through artworks, sound, performances and events.

In addition to the archival materials, contemporary artist Guled Abdulwasi presents a moving image work titled The Block; an architectural exploration of the inner-city housing estates in Melbourne.

Throughout the exhibition, public programs and events at West Space function as a critical access point for community members.

13 Years is curated by Samira Farah in collaboration with Patrick Jonathan.

Public Program

lossless.radio Live Stream

The community broadcast platform lossless.radio explores diaspora sounds and Black British pirate radio.

Every Friday, May 21 to June 25, 4pm - 6pm, West Space, Collingwood Yards 2020

Wynter in Winter Reading Group

Community members are invited to participate in a collective reading of Silvia Wynter, Jamaican novelist, critic, philosopher and essayist. Over 6 weeks, the Wynter in Winter Reading Group will read Unsettling the Coloniality of Being/Power/Truth/Freedom: Towards the Human, After Man, Its Overrepresentation—An Argument. Co-hosted by Samira Farah, Madeleine Collie and Amy Spiers.

Every Wednesday, May 19 to June 23, 6pm - 8pm, West Space, Collingwood Yards.

13 Years Closing Party

With lossless.radio and others.

Friday, 26 June, 6 pm, West Space, Collingwood Yards.

A Gathering

With Aminata and BIPOC Wellness Collective, presented by Emerging Writers Festival.

Saturday, 26 June, 10am - 1pm, West Space, Collingwood Yards.

The image shows 5 colour photos sitting on a white shelf. The photos are of the Peter Tosh Australian Tour (1983) taken by Vijay Megan. 2 Photos show a group of 4 men gathered on a street corner and the other 3 photos show people in and around a bus.
The image shows Archival photos from the collection of Patrick Jonathan sitting on a white shelf. The photos are of the Peter Tosh Australian Tour (1983) taken by Vijay Megan. The photos are black and white and include portraits and groups, additionally there is a poster advertising the tour of Peter Tosh.
The image shows a white shelf suspended off the wall with a series of images placed on it. There are a number of colour photographs showing groups of people, musicians and protest posters. There is a yellow newspaper clipping with the title PAC.
The photo shows 2 newspaper clippings and 2 photos sitting on a white shelf suspended off of the wall. The news paper clippings report on the death of Peter Tosh and the 2 black and white photos are of Tosh performing and Tosh surrounded by a group of people.
The image shows 3 colour photographs a poster and 2 black and white photos sitting on a shelf in the corner of West Space Gallery.
The image is of a screen suspended at eye level in the West Space Gallery showing Guled Abdulwasi's "The Block" (2019). To the left is part of a shelf suspended off of the wall with a series of photographs placed on it.
The image is of a screen suspended at eye level in the West Space Gallery showing Guled Abdulwasi's "The Block" (2019). On the left hand side is a shelf suspended off of the wall displaying a series of photographs.
Installation view of 13 Years. On the left is a shelf suspended off the wall with a series of images placed on it. Towards the rear of the room two screens are suspended off of the gallery wall. In the right hand corner is a plain countertop.
Installation view of 13 Years showing a shelf suspended on the back wall with a series of images placed on it. To the right is a screen suspended at eye level away from the gallery wall. The screen is not legible.
Installation view of 13 Years showing 2 screens suspended away from the gallery wall with two pairs of headphones laying on the floor connected to the closest screen. The closest screen is black with white text that reads "Peter Tosh tribute, Africa Connexions, Neville Legg and Patrick Jonathan, Radio Skid Row, Sydney 1987, 42:43 minutes". The furthest screen is not visible.
Installation view of 13 Years showing a screen suspended away from the gallery wall with two pairs of headphones laying on the floor connected to it. The screen is black with white text that reads "Peter Tosh tribute, Africa Connexions, Neville Legg and Patrick Jonathan, Radio Skid Row, Sydney 1987, 42:43 minutes".
Installation view of 13 Years showing a screen suspended away from the gallery wall with two pairs of headphones laying on the floor connected to it. The screen is black with white text that reads "Peter Tosh tribute, Africa Connexions, Neville Legg and Patrick Jonathan, Radio Skid Row, Sydney 1987, 42:43 minutes".
Installation View of 13 Years showing a screen suspended away from the Gallery wall with 3 pairs of headphones and some cushions in front of it. The back wall shows a projection of archival footage of a record sitting on a record player with a person standing over it.
Installation View of 13 Years showing a screen suspended away from the Gallery wall with 3 pairs of headphones and some cushions in front of it. The back wall shows a projection of archival footage of a record sitting on a record player with a person standing over it.
Installation View of 13 Years showing a screen suspended away from the Gallery wall with 3 pairs of headphones and some cushions in front of it. The back wall shows a projection of archival footage of a record sitting on a record player with a person standing over it.
Installation View of 13 Years showing 2 screens suspended away from the gallery wall, one screen has 3 pairs of headphones and some cushions in front of it. The back wall shows a projection of archival footage of two people sitting on a fence in front of 3 large apartment blocks.
Installation View of 13 Years showing 2 screens suspended away from the gallery wall , one has 3 pairs of headphones and some cushions in front of it. The back wall shows a projection of archival footage of 2 people sitting on a fence in front of 3 large apartment blocks.
The image shows a screen suspended at eye level in front of two large windows. The screen is black and white and shows an apartment block with the word "Community" in the top right corner.

Samira Farah is a curator, creative producer and radio presenter. She hosts The Score on Triple R.

Patrick Jonathan is a Sydney based radio broadcaster. In the ‘80s he co-founded one of Australia’s longest running African radio programs. He currently hosts Dial Afrika on East Side Radio, Sydney.

Guled Abdulwasi is a student of Architecture at RMIT and a multi-disciplined artist. As an emerging Architect, Guled aspires to better understand the connection between people and their environment.