Haegue Yang brings together recent works with new pieces conceived especially for her exhibition in the South London Gallery’s main space.
On the walls, large-scale works from Yang’s Trustworthies series (ongoing since 2011) are shown alongside new Hardware Store Collages (2012- ) and Lacquer Paintings (1994- ), creating a visual dialogue between familiar household objects and abstraction.
These works provide the setting for two large, wheeled sculptures developed from the Dress Vehicles series (2011- ): Sonic Dress Vehicle – Hulky Head and Sonic Dress Vehicle – Bulky Birdy (both 2018). Their powder-coated aluminium frames dressed with venetian blinds and brass- and nickel-plated bells create a quiet yet distinctive rattle when activated by performers who periodically move them around the space. The rattling of the moving vehicles traces the unevenness of the floor and intermingles with sounds emanating from clusters of speakers positioned around the space.
Yang’s interest in identity politics, movement and dance is inherent in the Dress Vehicle series. Her wider practice has been informed by the life and work of historic figures, such as Dadaist Sophie Taeuber-Arp and the spiritualist George I. Gurdjieff, albeit in often hidden ways, contributing additional layers to her exploration of ideas around migration.
A programme of performances accompanies this exhibition. Full details to be announced soon.