Carrie Mae Weems Explores the Currents of Migration and Identity in New V&A East Commission

For the ambitious new exhibition series New Work: Making East London, the renowned visual artist Carrie Mae Weems has unveiled a profound new film, The Long Goodbye. Currently presented in the Film Room of the "Why We Make" galleries at the V&A East Museum, the work serves as a contemplative meditation on the forces that shape human movement, identity, and the enduring legacies of the past.

Through a sophisticated synthesis of archival footage, music, dance, portraiture, and performance, The Long Goodbye traces the historical and metaphorical significance of water. Weems examines how bodies of water—from the vast, sweeping currents of the transatlantic to the soft, rhythmic tides of the coast—have acted as both barriers and bridges. These aqueous landscapes have facilitated centuries of migration, both voluntary and forced, and continue to resonate deeply within the communities of East London and the wider global diaspora.

At its core, the work serves as an exploration of how immigrants, in their journeys across oceans, forge new identities and artistic expressions. Weems posits that this cultural diversity is not merely an incidental byproduct of movement but the very foundation upon which contemporary cities are built. By transcending narratives of fear and adversity, the artist presents water and the networks of migration as the essential fuel for global creativity.

A Practice Defined by Power and Voice

In a recent reflection on her creative philosophy, Weems discussed the foundational questions that have governed her storied career. As a visual artist working across photography, video, performance, and installation, she emphasizes the distinct utility of each medium. Photography offers an immediate, descriptive power, while installation provides a space to physically manifest abstract concepts. Video, however, allows her to harness the element of time, weaving together language, text, music, and imagery into a singular, cohesive narrative.

Regardless of the medium, Weems remains tethered to a set of central inquiries: Who holds power? How does that power operate within society? And how does privilege shape the lives of those who have been systematically denied access to it? For Weems, the management and challenging of power is not just a professional interest, but a central tenet of her life. She is particularly invested in the concept of "voice"—specifically how it can be utilized to empower the disenfranchised and those who have been led to believe they have lost their agency.

Necessity and Influence

When asked about the origins of her approach, Weems identifies "necessity" as her primary driver. She observed early in her career a glaring void in the visual landscape: a lack of visceral, authentic representation of the people, bodies, and ideas she deemed essential. Recognizing that a story of the African American experience needed to be told—one that moved beyond the flattening constraints of cultural stereotypes—Weems set out to develop a new aesthetic path. She sought to present a range of possibilities and conditions that were far more complex and nuanced than what had previously been allowed.

Her influences are deeply rooted in the history of documentary photography and intellectual discourse. She frequently cites Roy DeCarava, specifically his seminal work The Sweet Flypaper of Life, as a constant companion. The Kamoinge Workshop—a collective featuring figures like Beuford Smith, Frank Stewart, Shawn Walker, and Ming Smith—was equally formative in her early thinking. Furthermore, she draws significant intellectual inspiration from the writings of Alain Locke on the "New Negro" and the ongoing scholarly work of Henry Louis Gates Jr., alongside the stylistic influence of photographers Robert Frank and Dorothea Lange.

Navigating the Afterlife of Slavery

Discussing the V&A East commission, Weems describes it as a profoundly complicated yet exhilarating project. Her primary concern was to reflect on the "afterlife of slavery"—the lingering ghosts that continue to haunt contemporary social structures—while navigating the question of how one preserves and asserts their inherent humanity within such conditions.

"At the core of the work is compassion, love, and vulnerability," Weems notes. The commission provided her with a unique platform to examine the transatlantic experience from a new perspective. She asks what it truly means to cross oceans and arrive in territories of empire, whether in Britain, the United States, or elsewhere in Europe. While acknowledging that these waters are "troubled," Weems is ultimately interested in what springs from them: an extraordinary, resilient ingenuity. She observes that marginalized populations have taken languages and tools that were never intended for them and developed entirely new ways of communicating through art, music, and performance.

Migration, Love, and the Immigrant Experience

The starting point for The Long Goodbye was the fundamental human act of leaving: the decision to depart from one’s home, family, and everything known to build a new life elsewhere. Weems uses her own personal history as a barometer for understanding the intensity of this transition. Her research process was deeply collaborative, involving extensive conversations with immigrants from various backgrounds—from taxi drivers in New York to the students involved in the V&A East Youth Collective.

These discussions revealed that the immigrant experience is fundamentally inseparable from love. Weems challenges the way migration is often narrated through a purely political or economic lens, arguing that the desire to provide for one’s family and the act of seeking a better future are driven by deep, profound love. She references James Baldwin, noting that the artist’s role is to illuminate the things society fears or is ashamed to confront. By stripping away the sentimentality often associated with "love," Weems reframes it as a struggle—a profound, non-romantic commitment to survival and growth.

Research and the Echoes of Diaspora

The development of The Long Goodbye involved a rigorous process of reading, personal reflection, and community engagement. While she initially imagined a staging involving physical objects like suitcases and globes, the final work evolved into a more subtle, conceptual exploration. Her time spent with the V&A East Youth Collective proved vital, as their perspectives on migration—covering diverse histories from Ireland to Poland and Ukraine—broadened her understanding of the complex, multifaceted nature of moving across borders.

A particularly poignant moment in her research was learning about the Polar Bear Club, a community of primarily Black bathers who gather to heal and remember through song and water. This practice resonated with Weems as a site of daily reflection and community building, reinforcing her belief that the most transformative work brings both the artist and the audience to a higher level of understanding.

Regarding her experience in London, Weems concluded that rather than attempting to "speak for" the city, she would focus on the common conditions that connect the diaspora. She notes that the challenges faced in East London share striking similarities with those in East Harlem or East Los Angeles. By identifying these "echoes" across different lands, she seeks to move beyond viewing places as isolated silos and instead examine the shared human condition.

A Future-Facing Reflection

In the context of a volatile political climate, where established structures of privilege are being fiercely defended, Weems remains committed to the idea that art can serve as a catalyst for awareness. She notes that nations like the UK were built, in part, by the arrival of migrants post-World War II—individuals who helped rebuild the nation with the promise of a new future. To deny that history or to withhold credit from those families, she argues, is a fundamental injustice.

Ultimately, The Long Goodbye is an invitation to re-examine our relationship to one another. When asked what she hopes viewers take away from the film, Weems speaks to the nature of "love" itself. She describes it not as an abstract feeling, but as a rare, specific encounter—an experience where someone else allows you to see the breadth and complexity of your own identity. She hopes that her work, in its subtlety and depth, might provide a similar mirror for the viewer, illuminating their own place in the world and the shared humanity that binds us all.