Peckham’s South London Gallery has been transformed this summer by Firelei Báez. A welcome respite from summer bleached streets, to enter the main gallery is to slip into a new world.
Báez was born in the Dominican Republic and now lives in New York, her work explores the complex legacies of the Caribbean diaspora.
With a visit to the Main Gallery you will find yourself a part of the installation as pinholes of light cast their gentle touch upon your bare summer skin. An immersive sensory experience gently soothes you with the smells of eucalyptus and rosemary as a soundtrack of Caribbean sounds are merged with those of a busy Peckham high street. It is a fusion that the artist brings to the blending of different geographical locations.
The New Curators programme, which supports aspiring curators from lower socio-economic backgrounds, is responsible for the collaborative curation of the exhibition. Their fresh takes and passion are the entry point on the press day as they assuredly give us a tour and explain the artist’s intent and thought processes.
Whilst the dappled shade offers rest and respite the blue tarpaulin is reminiscent of the temporary plastic sheeting put up after hurricane devastation in the Caribbean islands. The memories of Báez are the reference points that transform this space. It is a haven that points to a much wider narrative.
The art works themselves blend myth and legend. Aluminium silhouettes of Ciguapas, figures from Dominican folklore, emerge from coloured abstraction.
It is the textures that really grab me, from the mineralised sparkle of ‘Joy out of fire’ (speaking to the space you fill and you keep), to the oil slick reflections of ‘Labyrinth’ (to all the goods and pleasures of this world), you can almost feel a breeze in the movement of the palm tree tops.
The Fire Station gallery offers a more intimate experience. At first was seems like flat vibrant colours open into a deeper layered story that is very easy to get lost in.
I loved my visit and the echoes are sitting with me as I sit and write. I imagine the colours moving, merging and swirling, alive with folklore, myth and legend, revealing and disguising their stories. Waiting for my return to reveal more of their power.
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Firelei Báez : Sueño de la Madrugada (A Midnight’s Dream) is on at the South London Gallery from 28 June to 8 September 2024. The exhibition is free. https://www.southlondongallery.org/exhibitions/firelei-baez/
More on the New Curators programme here – https://www.newcurators.org/
Tincture of Museum 