Great Expectations
General Assembly, London, W1S 2FB
Alma Berrow, Matthew Clifton, Anaïs Comer, Frederika Dalwood, Laila Majid & Louis Blue Newby, Nicholas Marschner, Elena Njoabuzia Onwochei-Garcia, Ilê Sartuzi, Victor Seaward, Emma Tod, and Unyimeabasi Udoh
Borrowing a temporal, narrative-like approach, Great Expectations drew on the context of the eponymous novel and its themes of social advancement and wealth on one hand, and morality and human connection on the other. Set against the visual grandeur, formal beauty and eventful history of St George Street, these themes reverberated in the gallery space. Inaugurating the Exhibitions programme, the reference to Dickens’ classic coming of age tale turned attention to questions of identity, choices and next steps. It acted as an invitation to contemplate things to come, while at once mirroring past and present – for one’s expectations are shaped by that which came before, seen through the lens of the present moment.
Further exploring the connotations of adopting a literary title, Great Expectations reimagined the binary thought oftentimes inherent in classical tales in the context of an ever more complex world. Assembling a multitude of voices and narratives, this exhibition attached to the premises of the canonical novel while setting out to probe new and collective ways of storytelling. At the core of this exercise is the recognition of a social truth that does not necessitate each present artwork to attest to one narrative, but is grounded in pluralities instead. Striving to find new ways of being-together, this exhibition proposed a contemporary and intricate portrayal of virtue in the face of temptation. In line with continuous building and re-building of the gallery’s neighbourhood and General Assembly’s multifaceted story of becoming, Great Expectations explored the generative potential of continuity and revision.
Accordingly, landing in the push-and-pull dynamic of the connections between old and new, past and present, individual and collective, grandeur and modesty, facade and interior, Great Expectations foregrounded the underlying patterns at hand – those that connect as well as reject. Amidst the interplay of such contrasts, this exhibition sought to open room for forging new ties and imagining greater futures.
Press Release
For enquiries, contact us at info@kollektivcollective.com.
General Assembly, London, W1S 2FB
Alma Berrow, Matthew Clifton, Anaïs Comer, Frederika Dalwood, Laila Majid & Louis Blue Newby, Nicholas Marschner, Elena Njoabuzia Onwochei-Garcia, Ilê Sartuzi, Victor Seaward, Emma Tod, and Unyimeabasi Udoh
Borrowing a temporal, narrative-like approach, Great Expectations drew on the context of the eponymous novel and its themes of social advancement and wealth on one hand, and morality and human connection on the other. Set against the visual grandeur, formal beauty and eventful history of St George Street, these themes reverberated in the gallery space. Inaugurating the Exhibitions programme, the reference to Dickens’ classic coming of age tale turned attention to questions of identity, choices and next steps. It acted as an invitation to contemplate things to come, while at once mirroring past and present – for one’s expectations are shaped by that which came before, seen through the lens of the present moment.
Further exploring the connotations of adopting a literary title, Great Expectations reimagined the binary thought oftentimes inherent in classical tales in the context of an ever more complex world. Assembling a multitude of voices and narratives, this exhibition attached to the premises of the canonical novel while setting out to probe new and collective ways of storytelling. At the core of this exercise is the recognition of a social truth that does not necessitate each present artwork to attest to one narrative, but is grounded in pluralities instead. Striving to find new ways of being-together, this exhibition proposed a contemporary and intricate portrayal of virtue in the face of temptation. In line with continuous building and re-building of the gallery’s neighbourhood and General Assembly’s multifaceted story of becoming, Great Expectations explored the generative potential of continuity and revision.
Accordingly, landing in the push-and-pull dynamic of the connections between old and new, past and present, individual and collective, grandeur and modesty, facade and interior, Great Expectations foregrounded the underlying patterns at hand – those that connect as well as reject. Amidst the interplay of such contrasts, this exhibition sought to open room for forging new ties and imagining greater futures.
Press Release
For enquiries, contact us at info@kollektivcollective.com.
15 March –
03 April 2024
03 April 2024
Installation view: Great Expectations at General Assembly curated by Kollektiv Collective (15 March – 03 April 2024). Image courtesy of General Assembly. Photography by Jess Hall.
Installation view: Great Expectations at General Assembly curated by Kollektiv Collective (15 March – 03 April 2024). Image courtesy of General Assembly. Photography by Jess Hall.
Installation view: Great Expectations at General Assembly curated by Kollektiv Collective (15 March – 03 April 2024). Image courtesy of General Assembly. Photography by Jess Hall.
Anaïs Comer, fishnet, 2023), wood, filler, paint and varnish, 120 x 80 x 1.5 cm, in Great Expectations (15 March – 03 April 2024). Image courtesy of General Assembly. Photography by Jess Hall.
Installation view: Great Expectations at General Assembly curated by Kollektiv Collective (15 March – 03 April 2024). Image courtesy of General Assembly. Photography by Jess Hall.
Installation view: Great Expectations at General Assembly curated by Kollektiv Collective (15 March – 03 April 2024). Image courtesy of General Assembly. Photography by Jess Hall.
Installation view: Great Expectations at General Assembly curated by Kollektiv Collective (15 March – 03 April 2024). Image courtesy of General Assembly. Photography by Jess Hall.
Installation view: Great Expectations at General Assembly curated by Kollektiv Collective (15 March – 03 April 2024). Image courtesy of General Assembly. Photography by Jess Hall.