Serpentine Welcomes Yinka Shonibare's 'Suspended States'
Marking the artist's first London show in 20 years, Yinka Shonibare's Suspended States sets out to interrogate how systems of power affect sites of refuge, debates on public statues, the ecological impact of colonisation and more.
Marking the artist's first London show in 20 years, Yinka Shonibare's Suspended States sets out to interrogate how systems of power affect sites of refuge, debates on public statues, the ecological impact of colonisation and more.
It's been 20 years since Yinka Shonibare CBE had a show in London and over 30 since he's had a show at Serpentine, which made last week's opening of Suspended States at the Hyde Park-based gallery even more influential than it was already going to be (the exhibition coincides with Shonibare's presentation at the 60th International Art Exhibition — La Biennale di Venezia).
Colliding a mix of works old and new, Suspended States - ever the more pertinent in the age of Brexit - centres Shonibare's practise in conversations surrounding legacies of colonial power, imperialism and all that follows when look at Britain's dark past - or indeed, any nation's history. 'My work has always been about the crossing of boundaries: geographically, historically, visually and conceptually' noted Shonibare in a statement to press - a truth that's never been made more apparent when you take in the various brightly-coloured war-like statues on display, mimicking those that glorify colonial leaders found in places like central London. 'This is an exhibition that addresses the suspension of boundaries, whether psychological, physical or geographical - all boundaries of nationhood are in a state of suspense. It's an exhibition in which Western iconography is reimagined and interrogated, at a moment in history when nationalism, protectionism and hostility towards foreigners is on the rise'.
There are two installations the exhibition is centred around, Sanctuary City and The War Library, both of which continue, not only Shonibare's 'career-long interrogation of colonial histories' as artistic director Hans Ulrich Obrist puts it but also his shared mission with the Serpentine of bridging the gap between artists, society and public space. Sanctuary City presents itself as a city in miniature, making sure to include specific buildings - like Hôtel des Mille Collines in Rwanda or Refuge's headquarters in London - that are currently or have historically been places of refuge for persecuted or vulnerable groups. The second installation The War Library features 5,000 books bound in Dutch wax print with the aim of the work to raise questions about human memory and amnesia. As each book is engraved with gold lettering on the spine, their stacked presence resembles books that detail many conflicts and peace treaties, often with links to imperial ambitions.
Shonibare's signature use of Dutch wax print doesn't just stop at The War Library installation, it features all over the exhibition, with the press release noting it as a 'symbol of the tangled relationship between Africa and Europe', particularly when one considers its history in being mass-produced by the Dutch and eventually sold to British colonies in West Africa.
Suspended States marks an important time in Shonibare's illustrious career, opening in tandem with the 60th International Art Exhibition, La Biennale di Venezia, where Shonibare and seven other artists have contributed their artistic prowess to this year's Nigerian pavilion, making up the exhibition Nigerian Imaginary. Shonibare's work is also included at the Biennale's Arsenale venue under the theme Foreigners Everywhere.
Suspended States will be on show at the Serpentine Galleries until 1 September.
