The Modern Institute, Osborne Street

Representing Scotland at the 59th Venice Biennial, Create Dangerously at The Modern One in Edinburgh, and now The Modern Institute for her first solo exhibition – Alberta Whittle has delivered Even in the most beautiful place in the world, our breath can falter. Gal Bag are keen to share this exhibition as a recommendation.

Upon entering the room you are immediately enveloped by the vibrant ombré walls; from the fiery orange to red to pink to pastel lilac. The intention behind these festival-like array of colours are to imitate the sunsets of the Caribbean, although seemingly playful and colourful, Whittle’s work addresses more complex themes of place, identity, institutional racism and climate emergency. Unfolding the poetry of Norman MacCaig, Kae Tempest and Rabindranath Tagore, amongst others, to further explore consideration of place, belonging and memory.

In this new body of work, Whittle taps into a personal history weaving together identities of the Caribbean, with symbols such as the wooden frames surrounding the paintings referencing the fretwork adorned by many houses in Barbados. There is a tapestry piece positioned in the centre space embellished with the famous nursery rhyme quote ‘Ring around the Rosy’ indicative of the Great London Plague as well as a Caribbean Gothic narrative.

The tapestry woven by Dovecot Studios in Edinburgh showcasing the iconic Whittle style, is mounted on a gate structure, similar to others featured in Whittle’s work, referencing the Caribbean built environment as well as the architecture of incarceration. The tapestry work itself seems unusual at first considering the nursery rhyme is affiliated with the Great London Plague. Caribbean Gothicism is a feature in this exhibition, and an exciting one at that, allowing Whittle to adopt the text and use it to narrate her work in this exhibition.

Again touching on the playful but sinister. Whittle carefully connects each meaning through materiality, symbolism and colour.

For a further in-depth encompassing of the exhibition, we recommend reading Daniella Rose King’s newly commissioned text accompanying the exhibition Alberta Whittle’s Caribbean Gothic, where we learn of inspirations behind the works, particularly Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys. King also delves into the stories and concept of Caribbean Gothic; this genre delineates the dead coming to life as well as decolonial narratives.

This text can be picked up at the exhibition for free.

King writes:

“Alberta suggests a landscape brimming with this mix of dread and beauty. Painting herself into the environment, concealed by a host of figures and forms, she constructs her own sublime and ambiguous geography.”

Chiming in around the space is the sound of “Everyday is a new day. Everyday is a new day…” for 3 minutes and 35 seconds. The softness of this mantra carries the viewer through the artworks, and when it suddenly stops, silence falls upon the space. Reflection.

Throughout her paintings ghost like figures appear, the female subjects remain anonymous creating a sense of intrigue regarding who the figures traversing the landscapes are. The paintings feel visually more natural compared to the vibrancy of the outer walls; Whittle depicts imagined landscapes of the Atlantic using colours of green, purples and blues. With an enthralling utilisation of colours, details can be unintentionally missed such as beaded shells hanging twisted around the frames of the paintings, ephemera carefully interwoven amongst the draping fabric of the sculpture, and a small tambourine that sits below the wooden bowl near the entrance. It certainly is an exhibition to spend time ingesting, or a second visit is also encouraged.

This exhibition is perfect for this space, from the other vibrant curations in the Modern Institute Osborne Street, from Nicholas Party to Luke Fowler, I can’t help but feel this shapeshifting space allows for artworks to be seen, heard and felt. Alberta Whittles exhibition fits right in.

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Alberta Whittle (b. 1980 Bridgetown Barbados; lives and works in Glasgow) represented Scotland in the 59th Venice Biennale and is a 2022 recipient of the Paul Hamlyn Awards for Artists.
In 2020, Alberta was awarded a Turner Bursary and the Frieze Artist Award, she was the Margaret Tait Award winner for 2018/19.
Alberta is currently presenting a major exhibition of her career to date at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art (Modern One), Edinburgh.

The Modern Institute, Osborne Street

Exhibition open : Mon – Fri 10 – 6 / Sat 12 – 5

Run time : Oct 7 – Nov 11

Free to enter

The Modern Institute : https://www.themoderninstitute.com/

Recommendation written by Eliza and edited by A-J