The exhibition addresses the multiple facets of Paul Robeson, this African-American figure, famed for his international career as a baritone singer, theatre and cinema actor, for his connections to avant-garde artists, and for his committed political beliefs.

Paul Robeson left his mark on the political and artistic sphere within the English-speaking world and in Eastern Europe from the 1930s to the 1960s. He condemned racial segregation, colonialism and fascism and supported workers' movements: he was a fully committed political activist, making no distinction between the fight for social progress, anti-fascism and anti-colonialism. His was therefore a plural, cosmopolitan identity in continual interaction with the world, in which respect he preceded the "Tout-monde" of Édouard Glissant.

This portrait of Paul Robeson also provides an opportunity to look at the history of pan-Africanism, and to address themes and subjects from the era, namely the links between African-American, African and Caribbean peoples and the USSR, and also with the British avant-garde.

Resources