A Gathering on Art and Land was a day centring art and design-led approaches to planting, farming, seeding, gardening and burying. Through conversations and presentations, the event explored our relationship to the land, using ground and soil practices to start ecological conversations and reveal their potential for transformation, regeneration, and hope. The programme included a talk with Yinka Shonibare CBE RA who discussed his exhibition Suspended States and his ongoing commitment to environmentalism and interdisciplinary exchange in his practice. This was followed by G.A.S. residency alumni and RCA BLK members Remi Kuforiji and Graeme Smith, in conversation with Yinka Shonibare Foundation CEO Belinda Holden.
A Gathering on Art and Land, presented as part of the Infinite Ecologies Marathon, 13 July 2024, Serpentine. Photo by Talie Rose Eigeland. Courtesy of the artist and Serpentine.
The event formed part of Serpentine’s wider Infinite Ecologies Marathon, a long durational project that looks at the world-building potential of culture in the face of ecological destruction. Committing to working towards planetary thriving, this interdisciplinary series centres artist-led reimaginings for environmental action.
The gathering advocated for imagination and coexistence with the non-human world, platforming alternative ways of understanding and relating to the land in the face of a destructive, globalised discourse. Highlighting the importance of creativity, Indigenous land management and communal engagement, A Gathering on Art and Land underscored the transformative power of culture and stewardship, emphasising how artists engage directly with the earth in their practices.
Yinka Shonibare CBE RA in conversation with Hans Ulrich Obrist, A Gathering on Art and Land, presented as part of the Infinite Ecologies Marathon, 13 July 2024, Serpentine. Photo by Talie Rose Eigeland. Courtesy of the artist and Serpentine.
As part of the programme, Guest Artists Space (G.A.S.) Foundation alumni and RCA BLK members Remi Kuforiji and Graeme Smith, in conversation with Yinka Shonibare Foundation CEO Belinda Holden, discussed their ongoing practices and the site-specificity of the work they created while in residence at G.A.S. Foundation.
Remi Kuforiji’s residency was partly preoccupied with researching Lagos Island’s Afro-Brazilian history with a particular focus on speculating collective approaches to architectural preservation. Culturally entrenched in the area since the abolition of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade, Lagos Island’s Afro-Brazilian quarter became an enclave for formerly enslaved people returning to the continent from South America, Europe, and Sierra Leone.
Remi Kuforiji, Graeme Smith and Belinda Holden, A Gathering on Art and Land, presented as part of the Infinite Ecologies Marathon, 13 July 2024, Serpentine. Photo by Talie Rose Eigeland. Courtesy of the artist and Serpentine.
Graeme Smith’s residency focussed on expanding his research into 18th-century bead trade and glass craft with a focus on Sub-Saharan glass-making technology that emerged in Nigeria. During a stay at G.A.S. Farm House, Graeme researched local approaches to ceramic production. He developed prototypes for vessels using laterite soil, fibres, and various natural glazes and mineral sealants found on the land.
Using the intersection of the theme ‘A Gathering on Art and Land’ and their urban and rural perspectives as a point of departure, Remi and Graeme discussed their responses to creatively engaging with indigenous and historical approaches to cultural and land preservation uncovered during their respective residencies.
Graeme Smith and Remi Kuforiji's residencies were generously supported by the Royal College of Art Association of Black Students, Alumni & Friends (RCA BLK).
Yinka Shonibare CBE RA in conversation with Hans Ulrich Obrist, A Gathering on Art and Land, presented as part of the Infinite Ecologies Marathon, 13 July 2024, Serpentine. Photo by Talie Rose Eigeland. Courtesy of the artist and Serpentine.
Remi Kuforiji's presentation of residency images, A Gathering on Art and Land, presented as part of the Infinite Ecologies Marathon, 13 July 2024, Serpentine. Photo by Talie Rose Eigeland. Courtesy of the artist and Serpentine.
Graeme Smith discussing residency findings, A Gathering on Art and Land, presented as part of the Infinite Ecologies Marathon, 13 July 2024, Serpentine. Photo by Talie Rose Eigeland. Courtesy of the artist and Serpentine.
A Gathering on Art and Land, presented as part of the Infinite Ecologies Marathon, 13 July 2024, Serpentine. Photo by Talie Rose Eigeland. Courtesy of the artist and Serpentine.
EVENT DETAILS
Date: 13th July 2024
Programme:
11:00am - Introductions
11:15am - Sandra Knecht
12.00pm - Caroline Jones in-conversation with Lucia Pietrouisti
1:00pm - Carla Subrizi and Kalpana Arias in-conversation with Hans Ulrich Obrist
3:00pm - Yinka Shonibare CBE RA in-conversation with Hans Ulrich Obrist
3:45pm - G.A.S. Foundation takeover: Remi Kuforiji and Graeme Smith in-conversation with Belinda Holden
5:00pm - Sky Hopinka
5:45pm - END