We are used to looking at the achievements of Greco-Roman antiquity with admiration and even awe. The Ancient Greece: Science And Wisdom exhibition at the Science Museum makes us take a step back to discover how ancient civilization questioned, contemplated, and debated the natural world. Through the intellectual fusion of the arts, science and religion, ancient Greek thinkers sought to understand the world in a logical and mathematical way.

Strictly speaking, what we now call ‘modern science’ – research conducted in universities and laboratories – is a phenomenon that began only at the beginning of the 19th century; the very use of the term ‘science’ as a synonym for ‘natural science’ emerged in the 19th century. Nevertheless, as the exhibition reveals, Ancient Greek thinkers shared a similar philosophical interest in the natural world and used a variety of methods such as classifying, observing, measuring, and mapping to disclose the world around them. This ancient civilization boasts a long list of achievements in the scientific field. These include scientific discoveries such as the heliocentric hypotheses of Aristarchus, the principles of Archimedes, the discovery of the precession of the equinoxes of Hipparchus, the discovery of the nervous system of Herophilus, and the recognition of the importance of the quantitative mathematical expression of the laws that regulate the occurrence of physical phenomena.

The exhibition features rare and remarkable objects that spotlight five areas of ancient Greek science and allow us to discover the significance of their insights. Through iconic sculptures, storage jars, decorative plates, probes, musical instruments, and uncanny mechanical devices used to predict and map the movements of the stars in the sky, this exhibition testifies how wonder is the sole beginning of wisdom.

Short films and documentaries explain how Ancient Greek engineers employed their skills and knowledge to design ships that would travel further and faster in perilous seas. The deep blue waters of the Mediterranean intrigued Ancient Greek thinkers for the variety of fauna that lived within it, and many conducted systematic studies to uncover how these creatures survived, reproduced, and died. Interest in the human body laid the foundations for studies in human anatomy, whilst sculptors explored symmetry and proportions to achieve balance and harmony when realising the ideal of the mathematical body. Blending the outer aspects of the surroundings with its inner movements and rules were perceived as the purest form of beauty, and the Ancient Greeks aspired to measure and express all phenomena of the universe in mathematical terms. Music was not an exception, and some sought to understand and identify its fundamental qualities through sensory perception. An exceptionally well-preserved aulos, a double-reed pipe, is presented in the exhibition alongside an interactive screen which encourages visitors to give it a go at playing this musical instrument, whilst the short film reveals the difficulties in recreating the sound of the aulos today.

Through the use of audio-visual animation and other virtual media, as well as the latest scientific research and discoveries on these objects and artworks, the Science Museum invites us to step into history and cultivate curiosity, ingenuity and talent in the pursuit of knowledge.

FREE EXHIBITION

DATE: 17 November 2021 – 05 June 2022

PRICE: Free, ticket required

LOCATION: Second Floor Studio, level 2

Gold headdress (about 350-100 BCE) adorned with an image / Athena, Goddess of Wisdom @ Benaki Museum, Athens.

Reviewed by Rachele Nizi- After completing her MA in Reception of the Classical World at UCL, Rachele joined Abundant Art as a creative writer. Her British and Italian origins have inspired her to want to study Art History and European Literature, with an interest in the afterlife of antiquity in the Western tradition.

Emotive choreography, dramatic soundscapes and dream-like spaces: Punchdrunk return to London with their first major show, ‘The Burnt City’, in eight years. The colossal production sees ancient Greek mythology around the fall of Troy retold, with a dystopian twist.

Outside, the building is unassuming – we enter through double doors and drop our bags in the cloakroom. Soon, however, it becomes evident this isn’t a normal theatre production. As with previous Punchdrunk shows, ‘The Burnt City’ is a non-linear performance. The audience walks through the spaces encountering actors performing short scenes at various intervals. As we enter we’re instructed to wear blank, full-face masks; differentiating us from the actors and allowing for anonymity in our exploration. We are told not to stick together – this is a show best experienced alone. 

In the first performance space we are met by a series of huge curtains, that, when swept back, reveal unmade beds and flickering lanterns in hidden corners. This space acts as a gentle introduction before we become fully immersed in ‘The Burnt City’. A little further in, the production is overwhelmingly vast – with so much to explore, it’s hard to shake the fear you’re missing out on something better in the next space along. However, once you get your bearings, the best moments are the ones you discover accidentally; a barman setting out cups in a neon-lit backstreet bar, a secret passage full of coats through a wardrobe door, a wall that, when tapped, reveals an ornate gold sculpture in a cloud of smoke.

‘The Burnt City’ is eerie, surreal – like stepping inside a David Lynch film. The spaces are meticulously considered, subtle details making you feel as though someone has only just left. Cast members drift around the spaces with groups of masked audience members in tow. The actors are mostly silent, instead communicating via carefully considered movements and expressions expertly choreographed by Maxine Doyle. Often over as quickly as they begin, these movements are mesmerising to watch.

‘The Burnt City’ is unlike any other theatre experience; completely immersive, exciting and compelling – what it lacks in traditional narrative it more than makes up for in pure spectacle.

‘The Burnt City’ runs at One Cartridge Place until 4 December and tickets are available here: lyric.co.uk/shows/scandaltown

Photo of performer Alison Monique Adnet is by Julian Abrams

Reviewed by Amy Melling – Amy is a Curator and Creative Producer whose practice is centred around community-led arts projects. Her current research is focused on curatorial methods for exhibiting artworks outside. Amy has a keen interest in the arts and recently completed an MA in Curating and Collections at Chelsea College of Arts, UAL.

Mike Bartlett’s Scandaltown is a modern restoration comedy that combines the heightened and melodramatic nature of 17th-century restoration dramas as well as humour and satirical content that reflects current times. It successfully manages to combine these different periods to form a ‘New Restoration’. This allows the audience to experience flamboyant costumes and hyperbolic interactions of restoration comedies amidst politically topical jokes that can only be understood in a present-day context. These jokes and spoofs include digs at the pandemic parties thrown by the governments, satirical comments on the hypocrisy of the right-wing and the overzealousness of liberal social justice on Twitter. Amongst the themes of political satire, Bartlett’s script includes silly gags, innuendos and exaggerated content that makes the audience laugh as well as meaningful monologues about morality and virtue.

Scandaltown begins as Phoebe Virtue (played by Cecilia Appiah), an uptight, idealistically hopeful and socially conscious young woman, tells her Aunt Julie (played by Emma Cunniffe) she is worried about her twin brother Jack (played by Matthew Broome) who has recently moved to London. Phoebe believes London has contorted her brother’s reputation and caused him to have fallen into a sunken place of meaningless sex, class A drugs and right-wing, capitalist ideas. When a letter arrives from her brother that seems to disprove her suspicions, Phoebe is relieved – until a peculiar white powder seeps from the envelope and she realises the letter has been written on the back of a page ripped out from the Telegraph. Phoebe is horrified, she decides she has no choice but to travel to London in disguise to catch out her brother’s dishonest life and revert him from a life of villainy to a life of virtue. Life in London is exactly what Phoebe suspected and more as she gets a glimpse into the scandalous web of sex, adultery, drugs, secrets, social climbers and constant drama that Jack’s life entails. Amidst the scandal of London we meet other characters; Lady Climber (played by Racheal Stirling), always ostentatiously dressed, eager to do anything to climb the social ladder and propel her career;  Hannah Tweetwell, a straightforward, social media manager with suspicious motives who is employed by Lady Climber to help her rise to fame; and Matt Eton (played by Richard Gouldling), an Eton graduate and Tory politician – a caricature of both these attributes who is introduced to Lady Climber by Miss Tweetwell.

The set design, created by Good Teeth,  has its best moments during a  sultry and sensual sex scene which is presented as a cabaret-inspired yet also humorous dance, the stage engulfed by a provocative dark red light so that the silhouettes of the characters are visible. The costume design, by Kinnetia Isidore consists of an impressive 40 plus costumes. It sees both modern and edgy clothing worn by characters such as Hannah Tweetwell as well as extravagant and elegant gowns worn by Lady Climber.

Bartlett and the cast of Scandaltown have shown great versatility with the play. It is shrouded in the scandalous going ons of soap operas and TV dramas yet still manages to touch on topical issues, as well as make its audience laugh hysterically. It is showing at Hammersmith Lyric Theatre until May 14th. Book tickets here: https://seatplan.com/london/scandaltown/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIu8jltKCn9wIVa4BQBh2fugNzEAAYASAAEgKuA_D_BwE

Photo by Marc Brenner.

Reviewed by Lian Lakhope. Lian is a MA Global Media and Communications student at SOAS and a volunteer writer for Abundant Art. Lian has written for a number of different publications, mostly about music, culture and film and she is enthusiastic about expressing her passion for creating art and media.

In collaboration with New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Wallace Collection presents the magic of Disney. When it comes to Disney the keywords that strike in our minds are castles, fantasy, and a magical wonderland. People come to Disney to experience dreams. Walt Disney constructs a world that sparks our imagination and takes us on a journey away from reality.

This exhibition brings the magical wonderland in close proximity to the audience. It revolves around the creative process of the stories of Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast. In addition to manuscripts, exquisite collections of objects used in these stories like sofas, clocks and porcelain can be seen. Inspiring Walt Disney: The Animation of French Decorative Arts displays American 20th-century hand-drawn animation alongside French 18th-century art to reveal the surprising and enchanting connections between these two artistic movements. It is noteworthy that the exhibition includes the painting ‘The Swing’ by Jean-Honore Fragonard, which is considered to be one of the masterpieces of the Rococo era and is Fragonard’s best-known work.

Drawing on the outstanding artworks of the Wallace Collection, the exhibition highlights the exceptional talent and innovation of both Walt Disney Animation Studios artists and the creative pioneers of the French 18th century. Although separated by two centuries, the artists, craftsmen and animators all had a common ambition – to breathe life, character, and charm into the inanimate.

The exhibition brings back our childhood memories with Walt Disney’s words exhibited at the entrance. This sets the mood for what the visitors are about to experience..

“We’re sure of just one thing: everybody in the world was once a child…So, when planning a new picture, we don’t think of grownups and we don’t think of children, but just of that fine, clean, unspoiled spot, down deep in every one of us that maybe the world has made us forget and that maybe our pictures can help recall.” 

‘Inspiring Walt Disney: The Animation of French Decorative Arts’ runs at the Wallace Collection from 6 April to 16 October 2022. Tickets are available here:

https://www.wallacecollection.org/art/exhibitions-displays/inspiring-walt-disney/

Photo: ‘Beauty and the Beast’, 1991, Peter J. Hall, Concept art, watercolour, marker, and graphite on paper © Disney

Reviewed by Jiajing Yang. Yang is a MA Documentary-Fiction student at UCL and a volunteer writer for Abundant Art. Yang has written several different articles on the WeChat platform and Zhihu website, mostly about film and literature, and she has published a romantic novel based on ancient China.

The definition of too close for comfort – ‘The 47th’ sees Bertie Carvel play a spookily accurate Donald Trump in the world premiere of Mike Bartlett’s production. 

Set in 2024, ‘The 47th’ follows the presidential race as Trump attempts to take the White House once again, this time with his daughter in tow. Lydia Wilson plays a steely, collected Ivanka. Together, Carvel and Wilson make the audience wince with every forced kiss and arms-length hug – perfectly portraying the dysfunctional father-daughter relationship.

In parts, the actors speak in iambic pentameter, reflecting the Shakespearean narratives running throughout; feuding siblings, political coups, conspiratorial plots. Carvel performs this particularly well, somehow managing to speak intelligently while retaining the audience’s belief he is Trump. Although drifting in and out of this way of speaking felt a little clumsy, it was successful in prompting the audience to consider the parallels between ‘the Shakespearean’ and current US politics.

Miriam Buether’s set was a particular highlight. The space was used innovatively and seamlessly: scenes of outdoor rallies turned into board room meetings with simple movements. Neil Austin’s lighting and Tony Gayle’s sound were also effective in smoothly changing scenes – at one point even making the audience jump from their seats with the sudden use of a confetti cannon. 

Ultimately, ‘The 47th’ feels a little too soon. It was difficult to understand the production’s message – instead of exploring the issues raised in any sort of critical way, it seemed to merely play them off as jokes. This felt uncomfortable… a bit too close to reality, maybe. However, the production raises interesting and important questions around morality, democracy and leadership. As the story develops, we see a resurgence in gun crime, more Capitol Building riots and other horrendous shows of violence. Raising the question – who draws the line, and where? 

‘The 47th’ runs at The Old Vic until 28th May 2022, in association with Sonia Friedman Productions and Annapurna Theatre. It has been supported by American Associates of The Old Vic. Tickets are available here.

Bertie Carvel (Donald Trump) in the 47th at The Old Vic, photo by Marc Brenner.

Reviewed by Amy Melling – Amy is a Curator and Creative Producer whose practice is centred around community-led arts projects. Her current research is focused on curatorial methods for exhibiting artworks outside. Amy has a keen interest in the arts and recently completed an MA in Curating and Collections at Chelsea College of Arts, UAL.

A spotlight floods the centre stage and we see six men moving fluidly. A saxophone plays a melancholic tune in the background. Bodies move in undulating formation. Limbs weave slowly between one another, reaching for their own space. Softly, the actors begin to speak and the audience is captivated by every word thereafter.

‘For Black Boys Who have Considered Suicide When the Hue Gets Too Heavy’ sees the coming together of movement, song, music, poetry and dialogue to translate the experiences of six young black men. Equal parts heartbreaking and hilarious, the production pays homage to Ntozake Shange’s seminal choreopoem ‘For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf’.

Anna Reid’s set is subtle and powerful; brightly coloured plastic chairs and block colour walls sit somewhere between a primary school classroom and a community centre. Perfectly reflecting the production, as the actors jump between memories of childhood and their current group therapy session. The set is activated by Rory Beaton’s lighting; bright rainbows and moody sunsets.

‘For Black Boys’ sees the protagonists take turns to share stories. The conversation is filled with discussion and disagreement, illustrating that there is not one single black experience. However, the cast is united as they examine the discord between what is expected of them, as young black men and their lived experiences. Here, the intersecting narratives are raw and moving, examining racial profiling, sexual abuse, hyper-masculinity, discrimination, queerness and violence. But they’re also really funny. This dramatic contrast between witnessing deep emotional wounds and laughing out loud is jarring, a little frantic.

‘For Black Boys’ was written and directed by Ryan Calais Cameron in association with New Diorama Theatre and Nouveau Riche. Originally conceived in the wake of the killing of Trayvon Martin in 2013, the play has been some ten years in the making – hard to believe as it feels just as pressing now. Six actors form the entire cast; Mark Akintimehin, Emmanuel Akwafo, Nnabiko Ejimofor, Darragh Hand, Aruna Jalloh and Kaine Lawrence. Each deliver fantastic performances, vulnerable and complex.

Throughout, the actors speak directly to the audience, as if we are just on the other side of a confessional. This directness is heart-rendering. ‘For Black Boys’ is a truly collective experience – the heartache and love portrayed on stage spill into the audience, who respond with roaring cackles and sobs. An important and affecting performance, and one not to be missed.

‘For Black Boys Who have Considered Suicide When the Hue Gets Too Heavy’ runs at the Royal Court Theatre until 30 April. Tickets are available here.

Image by Ali Wright Photography

Reviewed by Amy Melling – Amy is a Curator and Creative Producer whose practice is centred around community-led arts projects. Her current research is focused on curatorial methods for exhibiting artworks outside. Amy has a keen interest in the arts and recently completed an MA in Curating and Collections at Chelsea College of Arts, UAL.

On April 6 1520 Raffaello Santi (1483-1520) died in Rome; one of the most famous Renaissance artists who indelibly marked the development of the artistic language of his time and shaped the course of Art History for centuries to come. To commemorate the 500th anniversary of Raphael’s death in 2020 and delayed because of Covid restrictions, The National Gallery presents one of the first-ever exhibitions outside of Italy to celebrate the career of the ‘pittore divino’ from Urbino.

In his brief career, spanning only two decades, Raphael became the interpreter of the Renaissance ideal of a culture’s vision of itself, capturing the human and the divine, love, friendship, power, and erudition, and set forth the quintessential images of beauty and harmony in Western culture and civilisation. The exhibition reveals every aspect of his work as a painter and draughtsman. It highlights his widely unacknowledged polymath activity in architecture, poetry, and archaeology, as surveyor of Ancient Rome, as well as his designs for sculptures, tapestry, prints and the applied arts. A legit genius whose work was prolific even during his lifespan, spreading far beyond central Italy, as his talent blossomed out of an intimate and profound love for art. Broadly chronological the exhibition moves from the following premise: to present Raphael’s thriving and multi-faceted artistic enterprise as the result of a complex process of formation whereby the construction of a community and the achievement of civilization is a collective endeavour.

The journey to understand the vastness of the legacy left by Raphael’s prolific work begins with a section devoted to the artist’s early works made in the region of Marche, and the nearby Umbrian cities of Città di Castello and Perugia, in central Italy.  Still a boy, a self-portrait of the artist at the age of 16, already shows Raphael’s considerable skills as a draughtsman; whilst the drawings for an altarpiece of Saint Nicholas of Tolentino exemplify his continuous practice of studying from live models. His precocious ability to combine detailed observation and creativity ensured he soon rose above the level of a ‘local’ artist.

From 1504/5 to 1508 Raphael oriented increasingly toward Florence, the liveliest centre of the elaboration of the new artistic and financial culture of Europe, around which the figures of Leonardo and Michelangelo revolved. His works for private clients include portraiture, altarpieces and numerous depictions of the Virgin and Child.  They demonstrate his ability to absorb the artistic experiences of his time, showing great interest for the animation of the characters painted by Leonardo da Vinci, the dynamic expressiveness of Michelangelo’s figures in motion, and the emotional intimacy captured in the works by the 15th-century sculptor Donatello.

The exhibition far from wanting to reiterate the consolidated agon in the study of art history which sees the dramatic confrontation between past, present and future artists aimed at decreeing the Greatest among the greats. In the dialogue between Raphael’s masterpieces and that of his contemporaries and predecessors there is the echo of a relationship that took place under the banner of originality.  The awareness that the artist’s promotion to the condition of Genius is realised through the development of a conception of art, in which the inventive moment prevails over the operational and practical one.

Arrived in Rome in 1508, Raphael completed his most masterful work, and led the ambitious project of decorating Pope Julius II’s private apartments (Stanze) in the Vatican, now known as ‘le Stanze di Raffaello’. His work over four rooms included monumental, multi‐figure compositions depicting biblical subjects, scenes from the history of the Church, allegories of concepts such as Poetry and the great gathering of philosophers known as the School of Athens (1509–10). The fresco has been recreated in this show as a wall-filling facsimile. Raphael’s monumental work for Pope Julius II exemplify his deep admiration for Man, and the prominence he placed on human connection. Raphael- serene, sociable, enthusiastic about life offers us a pictorial world where harmony, order, and beauty reign.  But this world is not the work of God, but that of men. The humanity depicted by Raphael, suspended between dynamism and softness of the figures, is resolved in the complexity of interaction between his figures. Raphael’s visual approach to human experience is compelling in his extraordinary portrait of an elderly Pope Julius II which transformed the way the powerful were depicted in Western art, celebrating the transience of human life.

Raphael was described as the ‘universal artist’ by the artist and biographer Giorgio Vasari (1511– 1574) in recognition of his dexterity in so many different arts. His interest in other media out-bloomed in Rome. Thanks to the patronage of the Sienese banker, Agostino Chigi, reputedly the richest man in Italy and the principal financial backer to Pope Julius II. The relationship with Chigi is presented in the exhibition as one of the most profitable in Raphael’s career, for he quickly became Raphael’s most important lay client.

The final room exemplifies Raphael’s total devotion to art, through which he could also convey his feelings, desires, hopes, and affection, supremely realised in his ‘Self Portrait With Giulio Romano’ (1519-20). Raphael painted this portrait of himself and his principal assistant as a gesture of their close friendship as evident from the way Raphael’s right forearm seems to merge with Giulio’s right hand, indicating trust and closeness between the two. This is one of the most frank and intimate works and is emblematic of the human connections Raphael not only forged personally, but which his art more broadly sought to galvanize.

More than 500 years after the death of the man who with his art challenged God. ‘Raphael’ at the National Gallery reminds us that the legacy of ‘the divine painter’ is immortal. This great show is a once in a life-time opportunity to once again, fall in love with the creative power of man.

09 Apr 2022 – 31 Jul 2022

The National Gallery Location Room 1-8

Standard admission £24

Monday – Sunday

For more information and to book online visit https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/exhibitions/the-credit-suisse-exhibition-raphael

Raphael Self-Portrait with Giulio Romano 1519-1520 Oil on canvas 99 × 83 cm Musée du Louvre, Département des peintures, Paris Photo © RMN-Grand Palais (musée du Louvre) / Gérard Blot

Reviewed by Rachele Nizi- After completing her MA in Reception of the Classical World at UCL, Rachele joined Abundant Art as a creative writer. Her British and Italian origins have inspired her to want to study Art History and European Literatures, with an interest in the afterlife of antiquity in the Western tradition.

Actor and singer Danielle de Neise stars as ‘Elle’ in BBC’s rendition of Jean Cocteau’s one-woman play La Voix Humaine. La Voix Humaine is a play that encapsulates the feelings of isolation, desperation and agony love and heartbreak can bring. With only one character, Elle has become confined to her claustrophobic apartment for the entirety of the film. We are made to scrutinise her as she paces and probes throughout her apartment on the phone to her lover, who remains faceless and voiceless but is still presented as the domineering figure within this relationship. We witness talks of nostalgic memories of their past and escalating immense desperation and anguish to keep her lover from ending their relationship – which is to no avail.

Originally written in 1928, Jean Cocteau sought to explore how emerging technology like the telephone impacted relationships. This seems to have more relevance in the modern-day as technology allows us to communicate far and wide instantaneously, allowing us to deliver visceral and heart-wrenching messages whilst avoiding the vulnerability of face-to-face interaction.

Danielle De Neise’s well-known dramatic singing voice, along with her remarkable acting skills (in what is her first film role), perfectly illustrate the psychological trajectory and emotional turmoil that Elle is going through during this fateful phone call. Elle is going on a journey through all stages of grief during this telephone call, hopelessly clawing and grasping at the thin fibres of her relationship that remain. The film is set to an orchestral score recorded at The Royal Opera House which is conducted by Antonio Pappano. All of De Neise’s singing was recorded live on location, a difficult task that makes the outcome of her performance all the more remarkable. The final line “I love you” is sung in a crushing, melodramatic crescendo. Before the call ends, the synthesis of emotion in this final line feels painfully real and a great showcase of De Neise’s talent.

The film adaptation of La Voix Humaine encompasses the audience. De Neise’s performance allows us to feel the intimate and personal emotions that love and its unpredictable fleeting nature can bring. The film is directed by James Kent, with cinematography by Laurie Rose. It is set to premiere on BBC 2  on the 15th of April. The exclusive screening of the new film version of La Voix Humaine was hosted by The Mayfair Theatre on the 31st March –mayfairtheatre.ca   

Reviewed by Lian Lakhope. Lian is a MA Global Media and Communications student at SOAS and a volunteer writer for Abundant Art. Lian has written for a number of different publications, mostly about music, culture and film and she is enthusiastic about expressing her passion for creating art and media.

Radio Ballads centers the ones most often ignored on mainstream platforms – those who receive care and those who give it. The works are difficult and raw, often touching on domestic violence, systemic racism, unemployment, disability and social care. Ultimately, Radio Ballads explores the relationship between art and care – can art provide space for reflection, understanding, sharing experiences… maybe even, healing? 

Radio Ballads, presented by Serpentine and the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, is the culmination of a three year project embedding artists within social care services within the borough. It focuses on the works of four artists; 2019 Turner Prize winner Helen Cammock, Rory Pilgrim, Ilona Sagar and Sonia Boyce, who will also be representing the UK at this year’s Venice Biennale. Facilitated through the council’s New Town Culture programme, the artists worked with social workers, carers, organisers and government services to produce four new video works and bodies of research. 

In Radio Ballads four moving image works are confined in their own unique rooms, the sounds drift out and talk over one another like in the living room of a large family gathering. This communal space, where the videos meet, is also where the contextual materials sit, showcasing the collaborative nature of the project. Inside, all four spaces feel very different – although it takes a moment to settle into each of them. The videos are lengthy, sometimes over an hour. This isn’t an exhibition to pop into, but more one to invest time into. 

It is truly refreshing to see socially-engaged work platformed at such a large gallery – enabling exploration of the role of artists and cultural institutions in civic and political life. However, although one part of the project is displayed at Barking Town Hall and Learning Centre, it’s worth questioning why the project has been removed from the community it focuses on, to be shown some 5 miles west in Hyde Park. Often, the difficulty with community-led projects is navigating the fine line between the community ‘collaborating’ in the making of the project and becoming the ‘subject’ of the work. The longevity of this project and the feelings evoked when watching the works, suggests it’s gone some way in achieving the former – not an easy feat.

Radio Ballads was curated and produced by Amal Khalaf, Elizabeth Graham and Layla Gatens. The exhibition is co-curated with Natalia Grabowska. Entry is free and you can find out more information here: https://www.serpentinegalleries.org/. Radio Ballads will be showing at Serpentine North until 29 May and Barking Town Hall and Learning Centre until 17 April.

Radio Ballads, Installation view, 31 March – 29 May 2022, Serpentine North Sonia Boyce, Yes, I Hear You, 2022 Photo: George Darrell.

Reviewed by Amy Melling – Amy is a Curator and Creative Producer whose practice is centred around community-led arts projects. Her current research is focused on curatorial methods for exhibiting artworks outside. Amy has a keen interest in the arts and recently completed an MA in Curating and Collections at Chelsea College of Arts, UAL.