EXHIBITION REVIEW – Wandering Abroad
Leeds Art Gallery until 31/01/10
After many years of ignorance, the story of David Oluwale’s death has recently become an inspiration for many in the art world , including Leeds-born artist, Corinne Silva, who uses it as the basis of her new exhibition, Wandering Abroad. Oluwale illegally came to Leeds from Nigeria in 1949. During his time here he suffered constant abuse from the police, which led to his eventual death twenty years later.
Silva chooses to portray this failure of immigration through a film installation; the series of moving images allow the viewer to experience the physicality of time which, along with the course of the River Aire, are the most important features of her work.
Managing to pick out abstract concepts whilst exploring the physical landscape of Leeds, Silva depicts the industrial and migratory history of the city to great effect. The exhibition provides an enlightening insight into local inequality without bombarding viewers with the usual feelings of guilt and pity, whilst the use of sad irony and a compilation of British, West African, and Caribbean music are contributing factors to the success of this piece. An awakening exhibition that is well worth a look.
The central location of Leeds Art Gallery means that there’s no excuse to ignore this twelve minute video.
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