Cathy's Art Diary

Stunning new mural/installation on the stairs of Tate Britain by Chris Ofili. The space is more walled in than before so it is given a feeling of a church with frescos. You are hit by the vibrant colour all around you and the immense images. I was pleased to see it is actually painted onto the wall rather than being an enlarged reproduction. A real feat as well as being beautiful. The work is a homage to the Grenfell fire and the artist Khadija Saye who died in it. Ofili had worked with her at the 2017 Venice Biennale. The description explains the work is in chapters and a handy leaflet explains the narrative although you don’t need it to be moved by the piece. Ongoing Reviews Times Guardian Telegraph  

Moving small display outside the Dorfman auditorium at the National Theatre marking 6 years since the Grenfell fire. The theatre is currently running a fabulous play based on verbatim accounts by survivors of the fire and from the public enquiry and this display compliments that. It combines parts of a photo series on the people at the heart of the tragedy, by photographer and bereaved family member Feruza Afewerki, alongside excerpts from a poem written by Grenfell resident and bereaved family member Sara Chebiouni when she was 11 years old. I would like to see more of this series and learn a bit more about the people so I will look out for future showings of it. This was just a small display with little commentary. Closed 26 August 2023