'Affiliate' Exhibition at Safehouse2 

27-30th June 2018 

SafeHouse2 situated in Peckham Rye, London is a semi-derelict building hired through Maverick Projects as a quirky venue for varied events. Although not an attractive property seen from the outside, as soon as one steps across the threshold you are instantly transported through time. The crumbling walls speak loudly of the previous inhabitants' lives. Traces of human and animal action were evident in every crevice. The front bay window had been bricked in; worm eaten frames filled in with expanding joint compound and held together with years of grime gave the front room a gloomy, disquieting atmosphere. This was a perfect setting for my Mammet Conversation installation. The sense of uncanny was very much heightened by this incredible backdrop. Nerys Joseph's film  which  sees the artist revisiting her childhood home was displayed in the fireplace and was an excellent pairing to my Mammet installation. The works complemented each other rather than diminishing the focus away from each piece. 

Press release 

Press release

The Mammet Coversation installation comprised of two large scale mammet heads on stands with a projected image sequence with audio works. Mammet(Puridaia), meaning Grandmother in Romany dialect, was placed in archway of the connecting rooms. She is facing Mammet (Puridad), meaning Grandfather, who is placed behind a panel-less  door peering through. The projection shone between them, relaying the past memories and audio conversation in Romany. There is a strong relationship between these three unified works and the decrepitude of the house heightened this tension and atmosphere purveyed by the soundworks. 

Mammet Conversation 2018, installation 

Mammet (Puridaia)

Mammet(Puridaia) initially had a torso and clothing to represent a human presence. however, in this curation the work was stripped to essential elements, leaving only the head and the steel stand. In this instance, this was the right look for the location. The mammet's animated expression together with the audio voice gave the suggestion of presence in the room. The ancestors were communicating to present inhabitants. 

Safehouse2 provided an exciting location to test these pieces. I am now considering changing my final major project installation a little to include a set design which echoes the atmosphere of Safehouse2.