A series of photographs depicting members of the Windrush Generation have been restored after being defaced earlier this month in Brixton, south London—and may soon go on show in the UK Home Office.
On 3 July all of the 20 works were slashed and daubed with green paint. The Metropolitan police said they arrested a 24-year-old man on 5 July on suspicion of vandalism, and that he was taken to hospital due to concerns for his welfare. A police statement said that the vandalism was not a hate crime.
The Windrush generation came to the UK from the Caribbean between 1948 and 1973. The Windrush Untold Stories exhibition, displayed in Windrush Square in Brixton, features portraits of Windrush Generation individuals and their descendants by the photographer Amit Lennon.
The exhibition, which has been extended until 24 July, was developed in partnership with cultural and community organisations including the Empathy Museum, Friends of Windrush Square, Photofusion, Black Cultural Archives, and Born or Made.
Last week a new set of prints, produced by the organisation Photofusion, was reinstalled in Windrush Square following the vandalism. A spokesperson for the Home Office tells The Art Newspaper that talks are underway regarding the department displaying the work later on.
Ros Griffiths, the chair of Friends of Windrush Square, says: “The reprinting was made possible through a loan, and we are still working to reach our fundraising target. A crowdfunding campaign launched to help cover the costs has so far raised £7,625 towards a £15,000 goal.”
In 2018, the UK government apologised for deportation threats made to Windrush migrants. The then Prime Minister, Theresa May, apologised to Caribbean leaders for the Windrush generation controversy, saying she was “genuinely sorry” about the anxiety caused.