Let’s take a moment to stress the obvious; the world is getting smaller by the day, intersecting East and West by measures of globalization, the World Wide Web and open borders. While we may find it easy holding on to a realm of time gone by, what once was, most likely no longer is and never will be. Moreover, in light of a political climate around our Western shores which is seeing the daunting upsurge of far-right nationalist groups, inexhaustible notions such as culture, individualism and identity have never felt more relevant. Consider that culture is the collective sum of social occurrences and practices currently shaping the face of society at any given time, and that identity is ever transformable and subject to remodeling with the exposure of new ideas and influences. 

1988’s ”Bengali in platforms” by Morrissey from ”Viva Hate” comes to mind;

Bengali in platforms
He only wants to embrace your culture
Bengali, Bengali
Oh, shelve your Western plans
And understand
That life is hard enough when you belong here

The offensive track was rightfully met with critical disdain upon its reception and some  twenty-five years later continues to be telling of our time and evokes questions about entitlements. Who is to claim ownership of assessing the permissibility of accommodations and making adjustments? At the very core, there’s ultimately change; the inevitability and occasional necessity of it, which the presented artists address in their practices.