Images courtesy of Susan Aldworth, King's College London, Peter Abrahams, and Scott Murray

 

Susan Aldworth's new exhibition 'BELONGINGS' at King's College London uses imagined objects, antique relics, and the practice of storytelling, to follow her grandmother's journey migrating from Northern Italy to London, exactly 100 years ago, in 1924.

 

 

35 individual antique clothes are hand-embroidered with family photographs, stories, recipes, and writings, including one linen nightdress that was actually in her grandmother's suitcase, having been passed down through generations. Suspended in mid-air, they highlight the transitory and emotional nature of an uprooted life.

By displaying her grandmother's imagined possessions as she made the journey to London, including essentials for the baby she carried, Susan seeks to challenge the anti-immigration and anti-asylum narratives that prevail in the UK today. Fostering empathy, understanding, and connection between refugees, asylum seekers, and the broader society, this exhibition advocates for the creation of safe, inclusive spaces in which stories can be shared and communities can be built.

 

 

 

BELONGINGS was first shown as 'EXILE : sono oriunda (I am of Italian descent)' at The Hub, Sleaford, 2023, and was reimagined in 'Belongings' at CSM Window Gallery in March 2024, where works by refugee artists and makers who had attended CSM, as well as works by staff, students, and recent graduates, were displayed to celebrate the contributions of migrants and refugees to British culture.

 

 

Running alongside BELONGINGS there will be Talk & Tour sessions with Susan Aldworth on the 8th and 24th of October, as well as a number of other events in the programme including talks, embroidery workshops and film screenings! Click here for full details of the event programme and how to attend.

For Susan's available collection of work, please visit her artist page on our website.

 

BELONGINGS, a solo exhibition from Susan Aldworth

The Arcade, Bush House, King's College London, London, WC2B 4BG

2nd October - 8th November 2024

 

Opening Times -

Monday - Friday - 10 AM - 6PM

Special weekend openings on Saturday 5th and 12th October

 

Free Entry!

 

BELONGINGS forms part of the new season curated by King's Culture, 'Lost and Found: Stories of sanctuary and belonging'. 

The programme builds on work by members of the Refugee Mental Health and Place Network at King’s and it is supported by the ESRC Centre for Society and Mental Health.

Read more about the exhibition here and here.

 

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