LACED: IN SEARCH OF WHAT CONNECTS US, NEW ART EXCHANGE NOTTINGHAM

FICUS CARICA, 2015, Pigment Print on Hahnemühle Paper, Ed.4+2Ap |110x147cm

GROUP EXHIBITION

NEW ART EXCHANGE

Curated by Loren Hansi Gordon

October 30, 2021 - January 01, 2022

Nottingham, UK

With Simnikiwe Buhlungu, Rahima Gambo, Wura-Natasha Ogunji, Zohra Opoku, Tabita Rezaire, Lerato Shadi, Michaela Yearwood-Dan

Laced is an immersive exhibition of painting, photography, video, sound, textiles and drawing. The exhibition invites viewers to reflect upon the shared human experiences of freedom, labour and love, that have all been fundamentally up-turned, questioned and negotiated anew in this pandemic era.

Laced is experienced as a visual landscape of vivid colours, deep-ocean waters and lush tropical vegetation that is at moments contemplative, poignant and empowering. The featured artists are all skilful makers, profoundly invested in the process, materials and labour of making art.

Laced is a network of artists linked through shared connections to Africa and its Diasporas.

This exhibition was first a poem. Written by the curator, the words act as a temporary stitchwork to hold together a set of ideas, cultural snippets and inter-connections. Laced presents art of process, the art of self-love and the art of being free
through newly commissioned and existing pieces, some of which are being shown in the UK for the first time.

POEM I

Laced a field toward freedom 

a scatter patterning of love, labour, and liberty

Laced is a network of artists
Laced is a drink made potent
Lace, lasso, noose*
Laced is how we wear our hair
Lace is woven into the history of this place, Nottingham*
Lovelace, Ada. The first computer programmer, daughter of a poet**
Labour itself is a pleasure
A Lovelace family motto***
Art of process, art of self-love, the art of being free
Love, labour, liberty
At liberty to walk freely and to experience new ways of knowing

Liberties

Laced is a scatter-pattern**** of associations, turned exhibit.
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* Lace, etymology
**see history of lace industry in Nottingham/potential connection to lace dress worn in West Africa
*** Daughter of poet Lord Byron. Credited as writing the first computer programme for the British invention 'Analytical Machine'
**** See Lovelace family motto - Wiki
***** Scatter, a synonym for diaspora