On the occasion of Akeem Smith’s exhibition Black Queen Volume 1 at schwarzescafé | Luma Westbau, Body Archive hosted the opening event with Lateena Plummer and Total Freedom.

Drawing from Smith’s personal archive of photographs, recordings and objects connected to Jamaica’s dancehall community, the exhibition explored cultural memory, preservation and the circulation of images. Rather than treating the archive as something static, Smith’s practice understands it as part of a living social history shaped through music, fashion, nightlife and community. Black Queen Volume 1 marked Smith’s first institutional solo exhibition in Europe.

The opening extended the exhibition into a social and sonic space. Alongside the gathering, Total Freedom presented a listening session, bringing sound into dialogue with the histories and communities at the centre of Smith’s work. Body Archive approached the evening as a form of community building, creating a space for encounter and exchange around the exhibition.