Yinka Shonibare CBE: Suspended States

Colourful and thoughtful exhibition at the Serpentine Gallery of new work by Yinka Shonibare.

I always enjoy Shonibare’s work which combines a beautiful object with a serious debate. I loved the room of works called “Decolonised Structures”, scaled down public sculptures decorated in his signature Dutch wax patterns representing colonial figures. I must admit I had to look a couple of them up but part of the point it to stimulate debate.

The central room had a wonderful set of small, black models of houses, churches and public buildings in a dark room, lined with the Dutch wax material and lit from the inside. All the buildings have been considered places of refuge for persecuted and vulnerable groups. It would have been nice to have more information on the buildings in the show but I’ve just found it in the excellent booklet.

Finally there was a reworking of a previous piece recreating a library of books covered in the signature material this time with three names of conflicts and peace treaties. These always look impressive and it came with an av display which outlined each of the subjects. Many spines were left blank to represent conflicts to come.

Closed 1 September 2024


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