A Wonderful Sharing of Ideas - Displacement Aesthetics at the Whitworth

This morning I spent with the amazing 'Displacement Aesthetics' group at the Whitworth exploring ideas around the collection. We have been talking through many complex issues about politics, power, identity and culture which are all being opened up by the group working alongside curators at the Whitworth. The aim is to see how to rethink the displays and collecting policies of the gallery through the lens of displacement and have this as a model that other galleries and museums might want to use. All the info is here about the project

https://www.alc.manchester.ac.uk/history/research/centres/cultural-history-of-war/displacement-aesthetics/

It is a huge privilege to be working with this group and I have been so moved by the sharing of our stories. The issue of postmemory came up in relation to my contribution. 
As part of the group I have chosen the following piece

​http://gallerysearch.ds.man.ac.uk/Detail/18506

It is a Russian mat and will be the focus for my responses to all the generous and deeply provocative conversations.

The collage I have been making this winter using all my old pastels from the late 90s is somehow also in the ring with my thinking about these debates.... The reframing and digging underneath the surface of often violent stories of displacement which have often generated such powerful new stories...
Also I am reminded again of the often large and significant gaps (see the Still below taken from the video made 15 years ago 'From Bohemia') that are part of these important conversations.