UK Premiere
A film, created with the people of Bristol, about the simple political act of sharing a motorcycle ride
'A breathtaking rebuttal to white masculinity’s likely attempts to monopolise a heroic narrative.' REALTIME ARTS
Presented by In Between Time with Arnolfini as part of the In Between Time Summit and the Still I Rise expanded programme
The Ride is a film made and screened for the In Between Time Summit in which two actors (the artist – a veiled Muslim woman – and a cast of people from Bristol) share a motorcycle ride.
On 15-16 December 2014, a lone gunman held hostage ten customers and eight employees of a Lindt chocolate cafe 1n Sydney. Although the motivation of the gunman remained unclear, the media’s portrayal of him as the quintessential Islamic threat, stoked pre-existing Islamophobic fears in the public. Forming a viral phenomenon, locals used the Twitter tag #illridewithyou to offer solidarity with Muslims and an invitation to travel with them in order to protect them.
In The Ride, artist Cigdem Aydemir, looks at the #illridewithyou trend, observing that while the viral hashtag arose from a will to express solidarity and support, it could also be viewed as a patriarchal gesture that is reminiscent of the white saviour complex. Aydemir brings these ideas to the fore in the simple, playful sharing of a motorcycle ride. She also offers audiences an opportunity to challenge the patriarchy and the idea that Muslim women are oppressed and awaiting saviour.
Get involved in the making of The Ride by booking a 15-minute slot with Cigdem Aydemir. Together, you will share a motorcycle ride across an iconic Australian landscape and become a cast member in this one-on-one film performance.
Cigdem Aydemir is a Sydney-based artist working in installation, performance and video art. Her socially and politically engaged art practice uses play, criticism and humour to create possibilities for communication. Much of her work explores the images of the veiled women in the West , born out of lived experience and her identity as a proud Muslim woman.
BANNER IMAGE: THE RIDE, CIGDEM AYDEMIR © CIGDEM AYDEMIR
