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murmurART

Nancy Fouts show extended until end of July. A must see. 52 Oakley Square, NW1
Review Jan 28 2009 « | »
Voo Doo in Soho The Riflemaker continues its strong run of exhibitions with 'Voo Doo', further proof that this small venue is becoming......

Jon Openshaw

The Riflemaker continues its strong run of exhibitions with 'Voo Doo', further proof that this small venue is becoming a potent force in London's art scene since launch in 2004.

When I visited yesterday the curator was busy stapling a curtain of gaudy tinsel over the doorway in preparation for an event that evening, and it's these human touches that distinguish this 18th century converted rifle makers (the oldest public venue in the West End). It also makes it a particularly fitting venue for the current exhibition, and I almost (almost) felt like I was not in Soho but in fact stepping into a New Orleans juju house.

The collection is arranged across 3 floors, and focuses on the 'mystery of the creative act', featuring artists that acknowledge the need for an altered state in order to create. This is a surprisingly fertile rubric and Haitian ritual, Catholic iconography, Francis Bacon, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Yayoi Kusama, Andre Masson and Oscar Wilde are all referenced here.

For me it was the overtly political tone that made it such a powerful exhibition. The namesake religion has always had a close relationship with the disempowered in a post-colonial world. What is of interest here is not a 'belief' system as we know it (a blinkered faith in something), but a way of exploring and acting on a world that otherwise appears unfathomable and unresponsive.

The parallels to the creative motivations of the artists on display here are therefore striking. Just as the prevalence of alternative medicine amongst aids sufferers in Haiti, or witchcraft trials in economically stagnant areas of South Africa, have been interpreted as reflecting a disillusionment in failed medical and political systems that promised so much, so too are these artists exploring alternative acts of potency.

Lots to see here so have a look before the 4th April. Be warned though, if you've had a bad run in with Chucky or any of those scary mannequin movies don't go upstairs to the 'Room of Dolls' after dark.

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