Events, Festivals and Exhibitions

An Awkward Relation is the latest exhibition by interdisciplinary artist Sonia Boyce, born in 1962 in London, UK. Designed to be in conversation with Lygia Clark, The I and the You, also at the Whitechapel Gallery. This exhibition assembles key and seldom exhibited works that delve into interaction, participation and improvisation — elements central to Boyce’s work since the 1990s and resonant with the innovative methods Lygia Clark introduced in her art.

Sonia Boyce and Sonia Boyce

Boyce discovered Clark’s work in the 1990s and experienced a profound connection with the Brazilian artist’s immersive and interactive practice. An Awkward Relation delves into the dual sensations of engagement and discomfort inherent to a method that encourages visitors to interact with, touch, and explore artworks and their environment in novel, unscripted ways. The exhibition’s title reflects the intricate and sometimes challenging dynamics between artists, their creations and the audience. It acknowledges the parallels between Boyce and Clark’s works while also noting the distinct differences arising from their diverse artistic, geographical and socio-political backgrounds, as well as their unique artistic intents.

An Awkward Relation

The exhibition’s initial section establishes a concentrated framework for examining the convergence of Clark and Boyce’s artistic endeavours. It features a curated selection of their works, engaging in a cross-temporal and geographical conversation, encouraging visitors to discern parallels and distinctions between them.

Furthermore, this segment highlights Boyce’s captivation with hair as a medium and a symbol of culture. On display are over 20 pieces crafted from both real and synthetic hair, first shown in the ‘Do you want to touch?’ exhibition at 181 Gallery, London, in 1993. These pieces challenge entrenched desires and preconceptions, with visitors being prompted to interact with and instinctively react to the exhibit. Similar themes are delved into within the 50 collages titled ‘Black Female Hairstyles’ (1995), the video ‘Exquisite Tension’ (2005), and various photographs that document and scrutinize hair in the context of race and gender.

The exhibition’s final section showcases the multimedia installation “We move in her way” (2017), a seven-channel audiovisual piece stemming from the documentation of Boyce’s identically titled performance at the Institute of Contemporary Arts, London in 2017. Drawing inspiration from Clark’s late 1960s–70s work and incorporating nods to Dadaist Sophie Taeuber-Arp, the original “We move in her way” performance evolved naturally, with performers improvising and engaging with the audience.

At Whitechapel Gallery, the installation is set against custom geometric structures and kaleidoscopic wallpapers, which are significant aspects of Boyce’s recent work.

Sonia Boyce: An Awkward Relation

Runs from 2 October 2024 to 12 January 2025.

Whitechapel Gallery Galleries 8 & 9. Admission: £12.50 (Standard ticket); £9.50 (Concessions).

Main image: Portrait of Sonia Boyce. Image: Parisa Taghizadeh. © Sonia Boyce. All Rights Reserved, DACS/Artimage 2024. Courtesy of the artist, APALAZZOGALLERY and Hauser & Wirth Gallery.