Topologies, 2021
in collaboration with limbo dancer Mambo Jambo and with Trinidadian activist, poet and community organiser Isis Amlak.
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Specification of the piece
1 & 2 (img)
.Topology of the oppressed, 2021,
Sun-dried cassava on stainless steel.
200cm x 120cm x 15cm
2 & 3 (img)
.Variable Systematic Structures. Pen on paper
mounted on softwood, oak framed, 40.6cm x 49.7cm
.Tilt your head. Pen on paper mounted on
softwood, oak framed, 40.6cm x 49.7cm
4 to 9 (img)
. Travel Guide, (Performed by limbo dancer Mambo Jambo) 2022,
5:02min, Video loop. Plywood. 200cm x 120cm x 30cm
Description
Topologies is a series of artworks that explores the malleable states of transition between a starting point and a destination. It examines how systematic socio-political structures exert invisible forces on individuals through the lens of the Limbo dance. The project began during an artist residency in Notting Hill, London, UK, and the research was developed in partnership with Trinidadian activist, poet, and community organizer, Isis Amlak.
These artworks invites viewers to contemplate the invisible threads that bind us, examining the liminal spaces where transformation and resistance coexist. It challenges viewers to question the nature of power structures and how they shape individual identities, encouraging a nuanced understanding of systemic oppression.
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The Topology of the oppressed installation is looking at nomadic roots called Cassava, Manioc or Yuca. The structure is made of steel and is inspired by the dimensions of a limbo dance stick. The elements displayed consist of multiple cassava slices. Each slice has been sun-dried for over 48 hours in 18 locations across London. Their peculiar hyperbolic paraboloid shapes are a natural reaction to these environmental stimuli (temperature, wind and humidity); therefore, each varies from the other. This tuber originated from South America and situated around London narrates the processes of adapting and reshaping oneself to a new landscape and cultural context.