'Stories That Made Us - Roots, Resilience, Representation' traces the experiences of a South Asian family in Coventry from 1968 to 2010, drawing on Coventry Archives’ Virk Collection alongside the personal archive of curator and artist Hardish Virk.
Through personal material and lived experience, it offers insight into migration, identity and belonging within the city.
#StoriesThatMadeUs
Roots
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Resilience
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Representation
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Roots ✳︎ Resilience ✳︎ Representation ✳︎
Featuring sound, film, graphics, photographs, books, magazines, posters, vinyl records, cassettes, artworks, zines and other objects, the exhibition explores migration, activism and cultural identity across generations, bringing together individual memory and collective history.
Coventry is home to a significant South Asian community, with 18.5% of the city’s population identifying as Asian or Asian British according to the 2021 Census. Despite this, South Asian histories and contributions remain underrepresented within public collections and exhibitions. This project addresses that absence by preserving and sharing these stories for present and future generations.
Structured around the themes of Roots, Resilience and Representation, the exhibition reflects on journeys of migration, the challenges faced and overcome by communities, and the importance of telling stories with care and authenticity. It asks timely questions about whose histories are preserved, how they are told, and how communities claim space within cultural memory.
An exhibition about belonging, legacy and the narratives that shape our city.
Image: Hardish Virk, Curator | Photos: Ayesha Jones
"Magnificent exhibition, heart gripping storytelling. Pure art and authenticity in all its mediums."
— Cass Floresca for Hillz FM“...this exhibition was truly informative, nostalgic
and overwhelming.”
— Aanya Sisodia for The BoarThe Herbert Art Gallery & Museum Podcast:
Herbert Art Talks: Stories That Made Us with Hardish Virk
The Herbert Art Gallery & Museum podcast invited co-curator Hardish Virk to talk about the exhibition, Stories That Made Us - Roots, Resilience, Representation, and the themes explored within the show.
“...cathartically taken me on a joyous, emotional, beautiful journey”.
“Never has a museum moved me so much...”
— Visitor Feedback
