BOOTH S5
Somerset House, London, UK
VIP & PRESS PREVIEW
Thursday 12 October - 11 am to 7 pm
OPENING HOURS
13 October - 11 am to 7 pm
14 October - 11 am to 7 pm
15 October - 11 am to 6 pm
In the exhibition, artist Wendimagegn Belete reimagines a selection of archive images captured in the eastern part of Africa in early 20th century, predominantly in Ethiopia. These archival materials, rich with historical significance, find new life through Belete’s work, emerging as large silkscreen paintings. The chosen motifs center around evocative Ethiopian portraits, thoughtfully interwoven with intricate technical drawings of camera equipment. This creative fusion invites viewers to contemplate the intricate relationship between photography, its purpose, and the complex interplay between subject and object within the vivid series of artworks.
Set against the backdrop of history, Belete embarks on a profound multidimensional dialogue that bridges the chasm between the past and present. Within this discourse, themes as diverse as colonial history, representation, modernity, materiality, and ownership are meticulously woven together on a single, cohesive canvas.
In 2015, Belete’s relocation to Tromsø, Norway marked a pivotal moment of transformation, symbolising his departure from Ethiopia, where he had established himself as an active artist following his bachelor’s degree from Addis Ababa University. This monumental change spurred a profound examination of his personal history, intricately interwoven within a broader collective narrative spanning across epochs. The archives, rich with historical elements, offer an inexhaustible wellspring for exploring the realms of what once was, what is, and the future may hold.
The exhibition presents a captivating amalgamation of silkscreen prints, acrylic paints, technical drawings of cameras, intricate patterns, and vivid colourisation and the look towards history. This transition from the digital realm into a hands-on, tactile approach serves as a unifying thread that seamlessly weaves together a diverse array of visual elements into a singular, interconnected artwork.
The photographic elements featured within the works date back to the colonial era, a time when they were used/misused as postcards, often distorting and sexualising the individuals depicted. Belete reclaims these images, infusing them with deeper meaning through a process that involves manually with hand, textual interventions, and physical engagement, thereby exploring the tactile possibilities of photography.
Moreover, the work explores how camera has been historically employed as a potent tool for reinforcing stereotypes about the rest of the world. Through the lens of the camera, Western perspectives have often portrayed other cultures and regions in a simplistic and skewed manner, perpetuating preconceived notions and biases. This visual medium, at times, reduced diverse and multifaceted societies to a single, one-dimensional image. Such representations often omitted the complexities of culture, history, and identity, focusing instead on exoticising or sensationalising differences. This practice of using the camera to stereotype has contributed to the perpetuation of harmful misconceptions and power imbalances, emphasising the need for more diverse and nuanced storytelling in photography and media to foster a more accurate and inclusive understanding of the world.
Furthermore, Belete’s exploration of the concept of decay in these aged celluloid photographs yields a visually captivating effect that serves as a metaphor for the erosion of power structures. These works provoke profound contemplation regarding the camera’s historical role in perpetuating stereotypes against specific communities and individuals. The exhibition, as a while, invites viewers to reflect upon how we remember individuals and communities throughout history, emphasising the pivotal role of archiving and documentation in shaping our collective historical consciousness.
The celluloid photographs featured in the exhibition can be seen as vessels containing desires and memories, preserved on a fragile, ephemeral medium susceptible to the ravages of time. Yet, beneath their fragile exteriors, lie our shared thoughts, dreams, and memories, destined for a renaissance in a new and enduring form. This body of work challenges us to confront the construction of social stereotypes, the perpetuation of systems of inclusion and exclusion, and the intricate interplay of memory and identity.
