Pump House Gallery

3 August 2017 - 24 September 2017. Wednesdays - Sundays 11-5pm.
Preview: 2 August 6.30-8.30pm

Visitors to Wandsworth Council’s Pump House Gallery can see the first major solo exhibition in the UK of Canadian artist Zadie Xa, who uses paint, textile, video and sound to tell her story.

Xa, who is based in London, exhibits The Conch, Sea Urchin and Brass Bell at Pump House Gallery from 3 August to 24 September, which tells the story of a displaced body’s journey and return to a ‘homeland’. The story of the protagonist’s search for belonging unfolds through the gallery, revealing a journey of excitement, rejection, and bewilderment…

In collaboration with PS/Y’s Hysteria programme, Xa uses moving-image, soundscapes, objects and textiles Zadie Xa interlaces imagined and learned Korean folklore in search of a space which explores how diasporic knowledge can be transformed into new realities. Filmic flashbacks, almost recognisable figures and looping dream states invite the audience to join Xa on a journey through her own memory, Korean cultural memory and future possible scenarios. Using the ritual of storytelling, rhythm, and repetition, the exhibition responds to a desire to reach states of true enlightenment.

In her work Zadie Xa interweaves fact with fiction, past with future, to explore identity, desire and personal fantasy. Through mysterious stories she seeks to create a space where we can reconsider notions of national identity, cultural ownership, and folkloric displacement. Employing painting, textile, video, and sound within her storytelling, Xa’s practice looks at performances where traditional cultural knowledge is passed between diasporic bodies.

This exhibition is part of PS/Y’s Hysteria programme and is curated by Mette Kjærgaard Præst in partnership with Pump House Gallery.

Hysteria is a combined arts programme inviting audiences to explore health and illness in contemporary society, focusing on issues of gender, race and cultural identity. The programme is delivered by PS/Y and takes place in partnership with organisations and institutions across London.

During the development of The Conch, Sea Urchin and Brass Bell Zadie Xa presented Basic Instructions B4 Leaving, as part of PS/Y’s Hysterical X, at Café OTO in December 2016.

The exhibition is supported by Wandsworth Council, Arts Council England and Canada Council for the Arts.

Suitable for

• Any age

Website

http://pumphousegallery.org.uk/programme/zadie-xa

The exhibition Zadie Xa: The Conch, Sea Urchin and Brass Bell is accompanied by an exciting programme of events and activities for children and adults.

Pump House Gallery’s InHouse Project Space presents ‘Unwanted Memory Bank’ – a new piece of work by artist Ania Bas to complement Zadie Xa’s exhibition in the gallery.

This project invites visitors to consider the value we attach to objects and memories. Inspired by objects around the Project Space, we challenge you to dig into your bag to find unwanted things from which to make a sculpture, or make drawings of things you don’t need or want anymore.

Join Ania Bas for free drop-in family workshops throughout August and September to experiment with writing, drawing and publishing. This is a fun and interactive way for families to creatively explore their unwanted belongings and memories.

Upcoming family workshops

Sundays 6 August, 20 August, 3 September, 17 September, with a final event and workshop on 24 September.

About the artist

Ania Bas is an artist working across text, performance, publishing and social engagement to create situations that support dialogue and exchange, as well as explore and question existing frameworks of participation. She is interested in the ways that objects and narratives shape understanding, mythology and knowledge of places and people.

Drop-in workshops for all ages. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Suitable for

• Any age