My Body Folded Like A Map
AIR residency, Whitechapel Gallery, London, UK 2011–12 'My Body Folded Like A Map' was produced as part of an artist in education residency for Whitechapel Gallery at Central Foundation School for Girls in Bow, London 
The project took place over twelve months with a group of Year 10 Art and Design BTEC students and their art teacher, Ellie Green. The group were introduced to artists working with performance and choreography as well as the work of photographer JR. Students encountered both imaginative and practical challenges (What kind of map is my body? How can we work together? What’s the answer to open-ended tasks?) and took its time to develop into an investigation of the local neighbourhood (some of which can be read here [link to pdf ]) as well as a series of large-scale photographs for public display in the school playground.
The photographs made no distinction between students, teacher, teaching assistant and artist, all were framed in the same way – a group of twenty people depicted as a collective. When the first set of photographs were compromised by the wearing of headscarves, we discussed the possibility to remove them during the portrait process and navigated the decision as a group. The final photographs – close-up portraits of eyes – are both intimate and anonymous. Fly-posted on school hoardings, the images provoked a range of responses from both the group and the wider school community. Seeing themselves at such a scale, some of the group found it hard to recognise themselves, others felt elated by how bold it made then feel. Much to the collective’s surprise the images were left un-graffitied, remaining intact for the wind, sun and rain to alter them over time.
For the residency exhibition at Whitechapel Gallery a new set of images were made and installed alongside a moving image work made by Lucy in response to the group. As Far as I Know (2012) was staged across three iPod screens, each work a small and intimate exploration which involves the voices of the young women and recalls their thoughts about belief, expectation, love and belonging. We carry our feelings folded up inside us, like a map…
Links & Credits
Link to the Whitechapel Gallery project page For full credits please see exhibition brochure [download exhibition brochure]