Grada Kilomba: O Barco/The Boat

Interdisciplinary artist Grada Kilomba brings her critically acclaimed installation O Barco/The Boat, to Somerset House this Autumn. Displayed in the UK for the first time, the large-scale installation and performance is specially presented by Somerset House on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair.
Displayed within the centre of Somerset House’s main courtyard, the striking 32-metre-long installation is composed of 140 wood blocks, the configuration of which outlines the ‘hold’ of a historical European slave ship. The blocks have been individually charred by the artist, granting each piece of wood making up O Barco/The Boat a powerful materiality that speaks to the traumas of colonial history.
The installation will be activated by two live performances on the 13 and 14 October, designed and directed by the artist, with musical production by award-winning writer and musician Kalaf Epalanga. Through live music, song, and dance, an ensemble of different generations of artists of African descent act as central interpreters of the work, both acknowledging the memories of the past and looking toward the future. The hour-long performance encompasses movement, poetry and songs of lamentation, with the ensemble of performers becoming the voice, body and storyteller of forgotten histories.
On Wednesday 19 October Somerset House presents its third Morgan Stanley Lates at Somerset House with The Courtauld to mark O Barco/The Boat’s closing. Visitors to the evening will receive after-hours access to Somerset House, including Serafine1369’s We can no longer deny ourselves and Somerset House’s new commission sponsored by Morgan Stanley from interdisciplinary artist Amba Sayal-Bennett as well as The Courtauld Gallery, with free events and activities taking place drawing inspiration from the themes of the installation.