As part of Tate Modern’s anniversary weekend, and in collaboration with Open City Film Festival, Maxime Jean-Baptiste presents a lecture-performance exploring how slavery affects Black lives today. The work is inspired by his role as an extra in a TV adaptation of Les Misérables by Victor Hugo, a novel set in France between 1815 and the 1832 June Rebellion.
In the mini-series, Jean-Baptiste played a slave on a replica slave ship. The harsh conditions on set triggered his asthma, forcing him to quit. He was paid in cash and left the job. By bringing this experience to the stage, Jean-Baptiste questions the structures of cinema and the impact of recreating violent histories on Black bodies.
The title, It Would be Alright if He Changed My Name, comes from a 1962 song by Nina Simone about racial injustice. It also refers to Simone’s decision to change her name to keep her music career hidden from her family.
Through this performance, Jean-Baptiste sheds light on racial profiling and the struggles of extras, who are often ignored. He challenges how marginalized people are treated in performance spaces and questions the way their labour is used in art.
This event is organized in collaboration with Open City Documentary Festival and Alchemy Film and Moving Image Festival, Scotland.
