Swedish artist and filmmaker Petra Bauer has created an immersive space in the Fruitmarket for the first major exhibition of Sisters!, her 2011 interdisciplinary artwork celebrating community activism. ‘I have always been interested in the everyday struggles taking place within the home and the office, and between each other,’ says Bauer. ‘Film and art have mainly been my methods for engaging with it. This film is made in such close collaboration with Southall Black Sisters that it’s almost inseparable.’

A London-based feminist organisation founded in 1979, Southall Black Sisters advocate and support minority women. As Bauer learned more about what they did, it informed her ideas of multifaceted resistance. ‘What struck me was the way they connected the work. They have straightforward casework, counselling and legal advice, alongside theory and policy. I had never seen an organisation with such a developed methodology. But crucially, for them, was also the idea of solidarity. It was before the term was coined, but their intersectional approach allowed for a beautiful collaboration.’

As Bauer describes her observation of a community-focused organisation as an outsider, it raises the question of allyship. ‘For me, there must be a very clear invitation from the community so that we find the friendship, creating a temporary form of collective. But could this film be made again today? I’m unsure. The world has really shifted. We realise that we must find a way to create mutual exchange.’

Despite how easily it would be to look at current culture and see a lack of progress, Bauer believes there’s an opportunity to revitalise advocacy. ‘I do still believe in everyday defiance. Like dancing, joy and the role of laughter. If I were to make this film today that would be an important aspect of it.’ So, while Sisters! is a glimpse of the past, it’s also a snapshot of reciprocity, encouraging us to embrace fresh and dynamic forms of social activism.

Petra Bauer : Sisters!  is on at Fruitmarket, Edinburgh, Saturday 22 February–Sunday 23 March.