The solo exhibition by Divine Southgate-Smith, a London-based Togolese-British transdisciplinary artist explores the poetic potency of archival imagery, using the archive as a point of departure. Southgate-Smith utilizes collage, photography, and mixed media to redefine boundaries between memory and imagination.

Her/their focus is on exploring the potentiality of archival images beyond their surface representation, achieved through the exploration of collage as a tool for reconfiguring archival narratives. The collage work incorporates found images, textual elements, pop cultural references, and digital interventions, reflecting the artist’s dedication to broadening archival representation. This diversity of archival formats, from photographic prints to digital scans, video recordings to written documents, prompts viewers to contemplate how different formats shape historical understanding and memory.

Southgate-Smith’s opaque and blurred aesthetic serve to both entice viewers and provide protection for those represented. Through her/their imagery, the black body emerges as a symbol of resilience and mystery, challenging traditional representations and perceptions.

The artist invites viewers to engage intellectually and emotionally while challenging conventional notions of archiving. The series’ title is borrowed from Jamaica Kincaid’s 1981 short story, where a protagonist recounts moments blurring the line between past and present, reality, and fiction.

Curator: Krisztián Gábor Török

Opening: 5 April 2024, 18.00

On view between 6 – 30 April, Tuesday – Sunday 12.00-18.00

Free admission

The exhibition is organized by the British Council and CEU Open Gallery, and it is a part of the official program of the Budapest Photo Festival 2024.

About the artist: https://www.divinesouthgatesmith.com

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