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THE JOURNEY
Part of the solo exhibition, Othered in a region that has been historically Othered, Focal Point Gallery, 26 Jun -18 Sept 2022 and shortlisted for the Freelands Award 2021
Audio
Duration: 14:45 mins, loop
A sound memory work inspired by an eerie and vivid two-hour journey travelling from the capital city Accra to Elmina Castle on the coastline in Ghana in 2005. The castle became one of the most strategic and significant stops forming the triangular trade route of the British transatlantic slave trade. The journey references a small doorway at the castle referred to as the 'door of no return'; this was the portal through which enslaved Africans boarded the ships that would take them on the treacherous journey across the Atlantic Ocean, also known as the ‘Middle Passage’. The sound evokes the anticipation of the enforced displacement of Black people and identity under the transatlantic slave trade. Here, the transitory space metaphorically prepares audiences for The Black Interior (2022) in gallery two.
The sound work was installed in the corridor space leading to gallery.

Installation view, Focal Point Gallery, 2022. Photo Paul Bates
The Journey was commissioned by Focal Point Gallery as part of the solo exhibition 'Othered in a region that has been historically Othered' (2022) and generously funded by Arts Council England, Focal Point Gallery and Southend-on-Sea City Council. The Journey was designed by Trevor Mathison and Elsa James. Audio installation by KSO Digital. The exhibition was curated by Elsa James.
Related works
Othered in a region that has been historically Othered
Related links
Focal Point Gallery Exhibition webpage
Focal Point Gallery online interview with Ekow Eshun
Focal Point Gallery exhibition video tour
Windrush and the British Empire speech by David Lammy (2018)
Exhibition history
2023 - Art Exchange, Colchester, UK
2022 - Focal Point Gallery, Southend, UK
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