the rasx() context

Launch Event: 2 August, 6.30 – 9 pm @ 198 Gallery
Exhibition: 3 August to 14 September 2007, Mon-Fri, 10am-5pm

Recalling Pierre Bourdieu’s cultural sociology, Larry Achiampong’s work emphasizes how social hierarchies and clichés are perpetrated across generations, despite the myth that contemporary post-industrial societies boast equality of opportunity and high social mobility achieved through education. His first solo exhibition, UNnecessary Homework, is compilation of sharp, ironic and playful observations of the troubled relationship between “youths”, education system, establishment and Bourgeois classes.

Iconic objects from the early 90s (when Larry grew up), such as wooden vintage pupil gear, foot balls and skateboards, are the main tools of his personal vendetta venture: turned into weapons of mass-disruption, they voice out the many frustrations encountered by younger generations, having to “integrate” to a system which brandishes sports and music as the only examples of professional achievement.
The use of recycled objects, also frequently thought to be the prerogative of contemporary African artists, questions the relevance of cultural heritage when apprehending globalised artistic practices.

In the face of the general indifference, and the complacency of the government, repeatedly failing to provide aspiring academic prospects and professional opportunities for its young people, Larry’s exhibition comes as a witty, but plausible scenario of what the future may hold. And this time, the revolution will be televised.

Larry Achiampong graduated from University of Westminster with a B.A. in Fine Art (2005), and is currently studying at Slade School of Fine Art (M.A. Sculpture). He has taken part in numerous group exhibitions, including the recent Telltale and Hawkins and Co. at Elspeth Kyle Gallery.

How to get to the Gallery: Train Herne Hill, Tube Brixton, Buses 3, 37, 168, 96, 322, 468, P4.
198 Gallery
198 Railton Road
Herne Hill
London SE24 0LU
Tel: +44 (0)20 7978 8309
Web: www.198gallery.co.uk

This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 24th, 2007 at 9:40 am and is filed under kinté calendar, kinté space news, root. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.