POSSESSION

June 6 - July 5, 2014

Art, Power and Black Womanhood

Liliana Angulo Cortés (CO)
Florine Demosthene (US)
Jeannette Ehlers (DK)
Michelle Eistrup (DK)
Sasha Huber (FI)
Ayana V Jackson (US)
Luanda Carneiro Jacoel (NO)
Patricia Kaersenhout (NL)
Ope Lori (UK)
Hellen Nabukenya (UG)
Eneida Sanches (BR)
Mary Sibande (ZA)

Curated by
Dr Temi Odumosu

Opening: June 6, 17:00 - 22:00
Performances from 20:00

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“If I didn’t define myself for myself, I would be crunched into other people’s fantasies for me and eaten alive.” – Audre Lorde

“There is no agony like bearing an untold story inside of you” – Maya Angelou

Possession showcases the work of 12 international Black women artists, whose work explores multiple concepts of being and belonging. Through deeply personal expressions these artists reflect on Black womanhood as a dynamic archive of knowledge, formed of flesh, spirit and memory. In mixed media practices and against the backdrop of their own biographies, they offer rare and beautiful insights into what it means to travel with this identity through public and private spaces, to dare to speak where voices are often subdued or silenced, and to honour ancestral inheritances as creators of art. Whilst clearly confronting the enduring legacies of slavery and colonialism experienced in their own lives, these artists also poetically demonstrate the healing and transformative power of sharing ones own story with a community of witnesses.

This exhibition is generously funded by The Danish Arts Foundation and Copenhagen City Council. Artist participation in the project has also been supported by the following agencies: FRAME Finland for the inclusion of Sasha Huber, the Mondriaan Fund for the inclusion and production of works by Patricia Kaersenhout, and the Danish Arts Council for the production of works by Michelle Eistrup.

TALK: Imaging Black Womanhood: Archival Memories and Poetic Reflections by Dr Temi Odumosu. Thursday June 12, 19:30 at New Shelter Plan