In the aftermath of the terror attack on the Westgate Mall in 2013, Arjun responded as a visual artist by creating a multi-media anniversary exhibition, which was intended both to heal and inform. As well as working with the BBC news and multimedia teams during the attack, Arjun worked independently over the course of the year following the attack and interviewed 50 key figures who were connected to the horrific event. Arjun worked with the BBC to create their anniversary piece, cited as one of the best multi-media pieces to have come out of Africa that year. He also created an exhibition of 40 portraits and video testimonials at the National Museum of Kenya that ran for two months. The First Lady opened the exhibition in commemoration of the one-year anniversary of the attack, for which we created a two hour memorial program with orchestras, choirs, prayers and testimonials outside the museum. Over six hundred people attended, including victims, their families, survivors and friends.
The exhibition garnered significant media attention, both locally and internationally. Find a selection of the coverage below:
Business Daily: Remembering Westgate One Year On
The Standard, Front Page: First Lady meets Westgate victims
Daily Nation: First Lady Margaret Kenyatta leads Westgate commemorations
The Star, Kenya: First Lady pays tribute to mall attack victims
CNBC Africa: Kenya Marks first memorial of Westgate massacre
IOL: Kenya marks one year since mall massacre
Voice of America: Kenya marks one Year since Westgate Mall attack
All Africa: Kenya: First Lady opens Westgate Memorial Exhibition
Jamhuri Magazine: First Lady Margaret Kenyatta Westgate Memorial Exhibition Statement
The event was also covered by News24, Juiced Today and Up Magazine Nairobi.
Arjun’s work on the first anniversary of the Westgate attack was featured on the BBC in two original pieces, an immersive story and an audio slideshow.