INSTALLATION:
Back-a-Yard Swag
Van Gogh House presents 'Back-a-Yard Swag', a solo exhibition of sculpture, assemblage and music by artist Dinu Li. The exhibition materialises an overlooked but important British history of blues parties in the homes of Caribbean communities, kept alive until the late 1980s.
The works centre on the memory of one specific all-nighter Li attended, where the playlist included tracks produced by descendants of Chinese indentured labourers in Jamaica. Bass, echoes and reverb vibrate across the rooms of Van Gogh House, interspersed with the sounds of Chinese tribal mountain songs, a sampling of mid 1960’s rocksteady beats and a dub playlist.
The objects and materials brought together by Li, form a structure of new familiarity, acting as cultural agents for polyphonic multiplicity.
With thanks to Fenton Arts Trust, Lambeth Council and the Wang Family for their support.
13–14 September 11am–5pm
15–19 September 12–5pm
Van Gogh House, 87 Hackford Road, London SW9 0RE
Dinu Li [he/him] is an interdisciplinary artist working with sculptural assemblage, installation and the moving image. His work explores memory, identity, place, space and time. He has exhibited nationally and internationally, notably at the 53rd Venice Biennale. He has presented papers as part of Urban Encounters at Tate Britain in 2017. In 2022, Li was awarded the Henry Moore Foundation Artist Award. Recently, Li was supported by the British Council on a residency in China.
© Photo: Andreas Sterzing
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