Willie Doherty: Buried

About

Willie Doherty is internationally celebrated for his work which includes photographs, video and film installations which are rooted in the political landscape of his native Derry. Whilst situated in the context of Northern Ireland's contested political and geographical history, the themes and imagery running through his work have universal significance and appeal. This exhibition, originated by The Fruitmarket Gallery, Edinburgh, touring to Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, brings together a selection of Willie Doherty's films and photographs, including a new film entitled, Buried, which was commissioned by The Fruitmarket Gallery with support from the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation. Buried was made and will be shown in the context of an earlier film, Ghost Story (TATE Purchase: 2009), which was first presented at the Venice Biennale in 2007. Both works deal with memory, its repression and return, but while Ghost Story is narrated by a male voice piecing together a story of remembered horror, Buried relies on ambient sound to animate its dark, almost gothic, woodland imagery. The films influence each other, the recounted memories, dreams and premonitions of Ghost Story seeping into Buried. These films are complemented by a selection of photographs made throughout Doherty's career.