Hannah Black: Some Context

Chisenhale Gallery presents a new commission and the first solo exhibition in a UK institution by Hannah Black.

Some Context is structured around 20,000 copies of The Situation, a book made up of transcribed, edited and censored conversations between the artist and friends about ‘the situation’. This theme is interpreted differently in each conversation. The books provide the stuffing—in shredded form—for the ‘transitional objects’ also displayed in the space, and will be shredded at the end of the exhibition.

In this new body of work Black continues to develop her enquiry into the production of, and the gaps between, practices and theories of subjectivity and collectivity. Some Context gestures towards the various potential uses of art’s uselessness—as comfort, as worship, as text and as archive.   

Hannah Black (born 1981, Manchester) lives and works in New York. Previous solo exhibitions include Small Room, mumok, Vienna; Soc or Barb, Bodega, New York (all 2017); and Not You, Arcadia Missa, London (2015). Selected group exhibitions include In The Flesh (Part Two), Gallery Diet, Miami; and Welt Am Draht, Julia Stoschek Collection, Berlin (both 2016); The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, Yarat Contemporary Art Centre, Baku; and Does Not Equal, W139, Amsterdam, (both 2015). In 2017 her performance OR LIFE OR was presented at PS1 MoMA, New York. Her writing has been published in Tank, The New Inquiry, Texte zur Kunst, Artforum and frieze d/e. Her book Dark Pool Party (Dominica/Arcadia Missa) was published in 2016 and Life (Walther König/mumok), written in collaboration with Juliana Huxtable, was published in 2017. 

Exhibition events:
As part of the commissioning process, a programme of events has been devised in collaboration with Hannah Black. This includes a series of conversations in which participants have been invited to discuss a situation of their choice.

Hannah Black and Kodwo Eshun in conversation
Saturday, September 16, 2pm
Hannah Black and Kodwo Eshun, Lecturer in Contemporary Art Theory at Goldsmiths, University of London and co-founder of the Otolith Collective, discuss Black’s new commission.

Derica Shields and Hudda Khaireh in conversation
Wednesday, September 27, 7pm
A conversation between Derica Shields, writer, programmer and co-founder of The Future Weird, and Hudda Khaireh, an independent researcher and member of Thick/er Black Lines artist collective.

Performance
Friday, October 6, 7pm
Hannah Black, Bonaventure (Soraya Lutangu) and Ebba Fransén Waldhör present an iteration of their ongoing performance collaboration, previously shown at MoMA PS1, New York (OR LIFE OR, 2017) and at the Institute of Contemporary Arts, London (Anxietina, 2016).

Early morning viewing
Friday, October 13, 9–10:30am
An early morning viewing of Hannah Black’s exhibition at Chisenhale Gallery, with an introduction to the work by Emma Moore, Offsite and Education Curator. Coffee and cakes generously provided by the East End Women’s Institute. 

Larne Abse Gogarty and Hannah Proctor in conversation
Thursday, October 19, 7pm
A conversation between Larne Abse Gogarty, art historian and critic, and Hannah Proctor, cultural historian and theorist, who have recently collaborated on a text titled Communist Feelings. 

Ciarán Finlayson and Marina Vishmidt in conversation
Thursday, November 2, 7pm
A conversation between Ciarán Finlayson, writer and member of the political education collective Hic Rosa, and Marina Vishmidt, Lecturer in Culture Industry at Goldsmiths, University of London.

Focus E15 Campaign members in conversation
Saturday, November 18, 4pm
A conversation between members of the Focus E15 Campaign, an organisation founded in 2013 to campaign for social housing in London.

Introduction to Hannah Black’s exhibition
Thursday, December 7, 7pm
In association with First Thursdays, Eliel Jones, Exhibitions and Events Assistant at Chisenhale Gallery gives an introduction to Hannah Black’s exhibition. 

Further events to be announced including conversations about ‘the situation’, between Hannah Black and friends, which will be broadcast in the exhibition space intermittently. 

All events are free to attend, but booking is strongly advised. Please visit chisenhale.eventbrite.co.uk to make a reservation.

First Thursdays:
Thursday, October 5, November 2 and December 7
In conjunction with late night gallery openings across East London, during exhibitions Chisenhale Gallery is open until 9pm on the first Thursday of each month. During Hannah Black’s exhibition, evening events, including introductions by curatorial staff, are programmed in association with First Thursdays. 

Chisenhale Gallery opening hours during Frieze London
Monday, October 2 to Sunday, October 8, 12–6pm
Thursday, October 5 and Friday, October 6, 12–9pm

Lead supporter: Shane Akeroyd. Hannah Black’s exhibition at Chisenhale Gallery is supported by Fabiana Marenghi Vaselli Bond; Julia Stoschek; The Elephant Trust; and Arts Council England Grants for the Arts. With additional support from the Hannah Black Supporters Circle.

Chisenhale Gallery’s Commissions Programme 2017–19 is supported by the LUMA Foundation. Chisenhale Gallery’s Curatorial Trainee Programme 2016–18 is supported by Sirine and Ahmad Abu Ghazaleh. Chisenhale Gallery’s Talks & Events Programme 2017 is supported by Helen Thorpe.