Luke Willis Thompson: autoportrait

Chisenhale Gallery presents a new commission and the first solo exhibition in a UK institution by Luke Willis Thompson.

For his exhibition at Chisenhale Gallery, Thompson presents a portrait of Diamond Reynolds. In July 2016, Reynolds broadcast, via Facebook Live, the moments immediately after the fatal shooting of her partner Philando Castile by a police officer during a traffic-stop in Minnesota, United States. Reynolds’ video circulated widely online and amassed over six million views.

In November 2016, with the assistance of Chisenhale Gallery, Thompson established a conversation with Reynolds, and her lawyer, and invited Reynolds to work with him on the production of an artwork. Thompson proposed to make an aesthetic response that could act as a “sister-image” to Reynolds’ video broadcast. Thompson and Reynolds agreed to produce a film together, to be presented in London, and which would break with the well-known image of Reynolds, caught in a moment of violence and distributed within a constant flow of news.

autoportrait was produced in April 2017. It is a silent portrait of Reynolds shot on 35mm, black and white film and presented at Chisenhale Gallery as a single screen work.

Thompson’s portrait of Reynolds builds on research he made throughout his Chisenhale Gallery Create Residency (2016–17), which began with an exploration into the history of the riots in London in 1981 and 2011. The Chisenhale Gallery Create Residency is an 18-month artists’ residency produced in partnership with Create.

Luke Willis Thompson’s exhibition continues the gallery’s programme for 2017, which includes new commissions by artists Alex Baczynski-Jenkins, Maeve Brennan and Hannah Black. Through the work, Thompson raises questions about representation and the body as site of political enquiry, themes which recur throughout Chisenhale Gallery’s 2017 commissions programme.

Exhibition events:

Luke Willis Thompson in conversation with Polly Staple
Saturday, June 24, 2pm
Luke Willis Thompson and Polly Staple, Director of Chisenhale Gallery, discuss Thompson’s new commission.

Early morning viewing
Friday, June 30, 9–10:30am
An early morning viewing of Luke Willis Thompson’s exhibition with an introduction by Ellen Greig, Exhibitions and Events Curator at Chisenhale Gallery. Coffee and cakes are generously provided by the East End Women’s Institute.

Orit Gat responds to Luke Willis Thompson’s new commission
Saturday, July 15, 2pm
Orit Gat responds to Luke Willis Thompson’s new commission, discussing the difference between photo, image and event, and reflecting on the anxiety of sharing online. Gat is a writer on contemporary art and digital culture and contributing editor of The White Review.

Screening: Portrait of Jason (Shirley Clarke, 1967)
Thursday, July 27, 7pm
Selected and introduced by Luke Willis Thompson, a screening of Portrait of Jason (Shirley Clarke, 1967) is presented in association with MUBI, an online, curated cinema.

Stop Play Record: Luke Willis Thompson
Wednesday, August 9, 5:30–7pm
Luke Willis Thompson is joined by the Mile End Community Project—a community organisation working with young people on film, art and media projects—to share their work and methods of production. This event forms part of the gallery’s Stop Play Record programme.

Tavia Nyong’o on Luke Willis Thompson
Thursday, August 17, 7pm
Tavia Nyong’o, Professor of African American Studies, America Studies and Theatre Studies at Yale University joins Luke Willis Thompson to discuss Thompson’s new commission. Nyong’o reflects on how image production, rather than providing evidence of antiblack violence leading to justice, seems to produce its own economies of suffering and degradation.

First Thursdays:
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. Evening events, including introductions by curatorial staff, are programmed in association with First Thursdays.  

Thursday, July 6, 7pm
Peter Shand, Head of School, Elam School of Fine Arts, The University of Auckland, discusses Luke Willis Thompson’s new commission in relation to his wider practice.

Thursday, August 3, 7pm
Emma Moore, Offsite and Education Curator at Chisenhale Gallery, gives an introduction to Luke Willis Thompson’s exhibition, autoportrait.

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

autoportrait is produced in partnership with Create, with the support of Creative New Zealand Toi Aoteraroa. This exhibition has been made possible through the generosity of our supporters, including: Lead Supporter, Shane Akeroyd; the Jan Warburton Charitable Trust; David and Libby Richwhite; and Yana and Stephen Peel. With additional support from the Luke Willis Thompson Supporters Circle. With thanks to Stephanie Post; Galerie Nagel Draxler, Berlin / Cologne; Hopkinson Mossman, Auckland; and Specialist Film Projection Services UK.
 
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; and Chisenhale Gallery’s Talks & Events Programme 2017 is supported by Helen Thorpe.

Chisenhale Gallery
Registered charity number 1026175