Opening on the 6th of April is Bea Schlingelhoff’s KINGSDOWN, the artist’s first solo exhibition in the UK. In KINGSDOWN aesthetic hangovers of this country’s colonial past collide with a focus on female swimmers. A drive to conquer the seas either as domination, or as subversion, sit together in a knowing tension.
Britain’s territorialisation of the sea has been the route for much of its construction of self (as colonial empire). As women come to be offered more platforms for representation today, how many of these platforms serve to reiterate imperialistic frameworks?
In the exhibition a wall is painted British Racing Green and two original autographs of female swimming champions have been framed.
A new font by the artist, dedicated to Gertrude Ederle, has been developed for the exhibition. After becoming the first woman to swim the English Channel, in 14 hours and 34 minutes, Gertrude Ederle walked up the beach at Kingsdown and was met by a British immigration officer who requested a passport.
The exhibition will be accompanied by a text by Sadie Plant.
Works:
Untitled
Autographed photograph of Katie Ledecky US competitive swimmer, JSA certificate of
authenticity, fake passepartout with brocade from India, black gloss frame, British racing green
background wall paint
Untitled
Autographed photograph of Simone Manuel US competitive swimmer, PSA/DNA certificate of
authenticity, fake passepartout with brocade from India, black gloss frame, British racing green
background wall paint
Typeface Gertrude Ederle
otf file