LOVE & LEGACY: OUR GRANDMOTHERS
09.09.22 - 10.09.22 FRENCH STREET GALLERY
“Our Grandmothers fed us, nurtured us and are the givers of knowledge and wisdom. They are storytellers and survivors. They are loved, adored but their voices are rarely heard in public, their roles are often not formally recognised.” Cat Dunn
Love & Legacy: Our Grandmothers is a joint research project by Barbadian-Scot curator Cat Dunn and South Korean artist Joy Baek that features stories of grandmothers from different cultures and time zones.
This exhibition acts as a work in progress sharing of ongoing research surrounding the traditions and changing roles of grandmothers in South Korea and Barbados, with specially commissioned artworks by South Korean artist Joy Baek.
What are the roles grandmothers play within families and within the broader community? A series of conversations and aural archive between Dunn and Baek will examine the intergenerational and intercultural exchange of stories, language, traditions, emotions and memories.
Through conversation Dunn and Baek explore the similarities and differences of race and culture, of coming from the countries and cultures of Barbados and South Korea, and of being in Glasgow at the same time while being seen as coming from marginalised communities. This ongoing collaboration has allowed both to establish a deeper understanding of the influence their grandmothers had on their own world view.
Baek and Dunn have investigated the role of the matriarchs in their family, their contributions to the everyday life of their family, and the transmission of culture and traditions to future generations. The project investigates the many ways cultural knowledge, shared histories and family traditions are kept alive from one generation to another, and the often un-acknowleged responsibility that women have as bearers of this tradition. This public sharing provides a space to celebrate and fully acknowledge the achievements, experience, knowledge, and contributions of grandmothers by giving voice to these women and their stories using archival material and oral histories.
Artist & Curator In Conversation
On Saturday 10th September 2:00 - 3:30pm, please join Joy Baek and Cat Dunn in the exhibition space for an In Conversation between Artist & Curator. This event will offer an insight into the impact Baek and Dunn’s grandmothers had on them. Through conversation, they will explore how their individual histories and intimate relationships were impacted through a generational gap, the traditional roles and cultural influences from both Barbados and South Korea, and discuss their own realisations that there are those who deal with age differently.
This exhibition is the conclusion to a six month period of research and development by Baek and Dunn, supported by Cabbage through it's Resilience Programme. In addition to funding, the programme offers tailored support to its artists from Cabbage's artist led team. This year, this included Critical Friend sessions with Liv Fontaine and Nina Mdwaba, a Captioning Workshop from Sean Patrick Campbell, and exhibition making support from Jenny Tipton and James Jimbo. More information on the Resilience Programme can be found here.
The exhibition is open 11am - 6pm on Saturday 10th September, with an opening at 6-8pm on Friday 9th September. The venue is wheelchair accessible and is a five minute walk from Dalmarnock train station.
