embodied

About

Western Colonialism privileges certain senses, such as reason and rationale, which were traditionally associated with “masculine” pursuits such as science. Historically, there has been a sense of scepticism and even suspicion with regards to being 'in' your body. In her book 'The Body Remembers', somatic trauma expert Babbette Rothschild discusses the clumsiness of the English language when it comes to differentiating the conscious experiences of emotions from bodily sensations; the word 'feeling' usually stands for both. Nevertheless, everyday phrases - across many languages- encapsulate the interconnectedness of emotions and bodily sensations: we carry tension; we hold trauma - indeed, trauma (including historical and ancestral) can physically be mapped in the body.

Throughout time, black and brown women's bodies have been othered and objectified. Today, and always, being in your body is an act of resistance. This group exhibition will explore artistic practices that navigate the complexity of lived experience and conscious emotion via the bodily form.