Nick Aikens's guest appearances

Nick Aikens

The MIT Press Podcast

Florida Foodie

Wysing Arts Centre

Henry David Thoreau

Noam Chomsky

Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore

Tai Shani

Erik Davis

McKenzie Wark

David Meerman Scott

John Sharp

Richard Blais

Whitney Phillips

Colin McGinn

Chris Kraus

Levi Strauss

Damon Krukowski

Barry Katz

OwlTail

Nick Aikens and Elizabeth Robles discuss The Place Is Here (Sternberg Press, 2019) and the range of perspectives on black art in Thatcherite Britain offered by the collection of artworks, essays, and conversations found in the book.The Place Is Here begins to write a missing chapter in British art history: work by black artists in the Thatcherite 1980s. Richly illustrated, with more than two hundred color images, it brings together artworks, essays, archives, and conversations that map the varying perspectives and approaches of a group of artists who challenged the dominance of white heterosexual men in the canon of contemporary art. The many artists discussed and displayed here do not make up a “movement” or a school or a chronological progression, but represent the diverse interests and activities of artists across a decade and beyond. They grapple with black nationalism, anti-colonialism and postcolonialism, anti-Thatcherism, black feminism, black queer subjectivity, psychoanalysis, forms of narrative and documentary image-making, in different ways and through different modes of representation across a range of media.The book, which grows out of a series of exhibitions that began in 2014, offers essays, close readings of selected works, panel discussions, and archival presentations, bringing together different voices and generational perspectives. Contributions come from the artists themselves, established scholars, and younger practitioners, critics, and art historians. They discuss the exhibitions, call for a reappraisal of dominant art historical approaches, and consider the use and role of the archive in artworks; look at works by Mona Hatoum, Martina Atille, Said Adrus, Chila Kumari Burman, and Pratibha Parmar; and present key documents and other material.Hosted and produced by Sam Kelly; Mixed by Samantha Doyle; Soundtrack by Kristen Gallerneaux

Nick Aikens and Elizabeth Robles discuss <a href="https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/place-here" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Place Is Here</a> (Sternberg Press, 2019) and the range of perspectives on black art in Thatcherite Britain offered by the collection of artworks, essays, and conversations found in the book.The Place Is Here begins to write a missing chapter in British art history: work by black artists in the Thatcherite 1980s. Richly illustrated, with more than two hundred color images, it brings together artworks, essays, archives, and conversations that map the varying perspectives and approaches of a group of artists who challenged the dominance of white heterosexual men in the canon of contemporary art. The many artists discussed and displayed here do not make up a “movement” or a school or a chronological progression, but represent the diverse interests and activities of artists across a decade and beyond. They grapple with black nationalism, anti-colonialism and postcolonialism, anti-Thatcherism, black feminism, black queer subjectivity, psychoanalysis, forms of narrative and documentary image-making, in different ways and through different modes of representation across a range of media.The book, which grows out of a series of exhibitions that began in 2014, offers essays, close readings of selected works, panel discussions, and archival presentations, bringing together different voices and generational perspectives. Contributions come from the artists themselves, established scholars, and younger practitioners, critics, and art historians. They discuss the exhibitions, call for a reappraisal of dominant art historical approaches, and consider the use and role of the archive in artworks; look at works by Mona Hatoum, Martina Atille, Said Adrus, Chila Kumari Burman, and Pratibha Parmar; and present key documents and other material.Hosted and produced by Sam Kelly; Mixed by Samantha Doyle; Soundtrack by Kristen Gallerneaux

The Place Is Here: The Work of Black Artists in 1980s Britain

Chef Nick Aikens has spent much of his life in the kitchen with his family. He got his start working for his aunt in 1952. Since then, he’s served meals to Muhammad Ali and Elvis Presely, but, above all,   Aikens says he is “cooking for the people.”He now runs his own restaurant with his wife and his daughter. Over the last 20 years, Nikki’sPlace has become a staple of Orlando’s Parramore neighborhood. Aikens started the restaurant in 1999, naming it after his daughter Shannea “Nikki” Akins, who will eventually take over the business.The restaurant’s standing in the community is a fact that is not lost Aikens. He and his daughter know the business would not be around without their customers, especially through the hard times brought on by the pandemic.  They say people regularly stop by for a meal, saying they are coming in just to make sure their business can stay open.Nick and Shannea join us to talk about what makes their soul different from what people might expect and how they are giving back to the customers who help keep them going. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chef Nick Aikens has spent much of his life in the kitchen with his family. He got his start working for his aunt in 1952. Since then, he’s served meals to Muhammad Ali and Elvis Presely, but, above all, Aikens says he is “cooking for the people.”He now runs his own restaurant with his wife and his daughter. Over the last 20 years, <a href="https://www.nikkisplace.net/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Nikki’sPlace</a> has become a staple of Orlando’s Parramore neighborhood. Aikens started the restaurant in 1999, naming it after his daughter Shannea “Nikki” Akins, who will eventually take over the business.The restaurant’s standing in the community is a fact that is not lost Aikens. He and his daughter know the business would not be around without their customers, especially through the hard times brought on by the <a href="https://www.clickorlando.com/topic/Coronavirus/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">pandemic</a>. They say people regularly stop by for a meal, saying they are coming in just to make sure their business can stay open.Nick and Shannea join us to talk about what makes their soul different from what people might expect and how they are giving back to the customers who help keep them going. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

Florida Foodie - Chef Nick Aikens & Nikki's Place