Somerset House, London
The rukus! Federation opens up its archives for an exhibition brimming with joy, sadness … and an incredible amount of sex

Conserved at the London Archives since 2005, rukus! is a collection of printed materials, conference agendas and ephemera related to the Black LGBTQ+ community in Britain. It was not intended to be a static academic resource, sifted through with white gloves, but to be continually activated and imagined in relation to the present. In this new show by rukus! Federation co-founder and film-maker Topher Campbell at Somerset House in London, these incredible materials are configured through themes of love, community, friendship and resistance, tracing the latest evolution of thinking around the culture and contours of Black LGBTQ+ life.

The rukus! Federation charity launched in 2000, following a series of conversations between Campbell and the artist Ajamu X, after a friend who died left him a collection of dolls and erotic magazines. Since then, the collective has been responsible for events, films and archival production. The strength of the rukus! collection is testament to the community that has held on to old, invaluable things for posterity, and here Campbell’s skilful curation has transformed the items into something rousing, emotional and celebratory.