AN ORNATE hand-knotted garment made of human hair is the centrepiece of a new exhibition exploring generational trauma.
Commissioned by Forma Arts and Media, 'Bring Me to Heal' combines film-making, music, photography and sculpture to offer collective rituals of healing.
The exhibition, currently on display at the Attenborough Centre in Brighton, is the first solo UK tour by Amartey Golding and is their largest work to date.
Through the work, Golding turns to his Anglo-Scottish and Ghanian ancestry by way of Rastafarian upbringing as a point of departure to explore the drivers of human behaviour, creating dreamlike spaces steeped in historical reference in which to locate characters experiencing moments of immutable change.
The garment at the centre of the exhibition blends references from afro hair styles to the body art of ancient Britons, as a symbol of collective healing and reflection.
Using the hair collectively of potentially thousands of people, each strand was knotted by hand and tended to by a collective of producers.
In films and a photography series featured in the exhibit, Amrtey's brother Solomon brings the garment to life and follow his journey as part of a group of three nomadic brothers, as well as being brought to a point of reckoning with the violent past within the opulence of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
For Amartey, 'Bring Me to Heal' represents a plea for us to acknowledge the importance of understanding our emotional past and to establish a more equitable future.
Chris Rawcliffe, artistic director at Forma, said: "For the past two years, Forma has had the pleasure of supporting Amartey Golding develop his ambitious, multidisciplinary project 'Bring Me to Heal'.
"It's a testament to Amartey's drive and artistic vision that what started as a modest R&D project in early 2019 emerged as an entire exhibition encompassing two new films, various collaborations, photography and an incredible sculptural garment.
"Against the backdrop of current British politics - issues of homelessness, public health and race relations - Amartey uses symbolism and storytelling to articulate the complexities of our contemporary world in an open and inclusive manner that will speak to viewers far beyond the art world."
The exhibition is open for free at the Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts until November 26, before heading to Glasgow and London.
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