Alberta Whittle

Lagareh – The Last Born

About this artwork

This film installation weaves together moments of intimacy, ritual, and acts of rebellion to explore themes of loss, rage and abolition. Shot at locations in Venice, London, Ayrshire, Sierra Leone and Barbados, the film takes us on a journey to connected geographies to address the devastating legacies of transatlantic chattel slavery and the systems of racism that remain in our contemporary world. It foregrounds the experiences, voices and gestures of Black and queer women against the backdrop of sites of grief and mourning. Throughout the film, Alberta underlines the role of family bonds and compassion in resisting racism and anti-Blackness. Lagareh – The Last Born is a call to action – to find new ways of being in the world, inviting us not only to imagine, but to make real a future which places love at its centre.  

Published March 2023

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  • artist:
    Alberta Whittle (born 1980)
  • title:
    Lagareh – The Last Born
  • date created:
    2022
  • materials:
    Colour video installation, sound, 43 mins, steel, shells, beads
  • measurements:
    Sculptural gates: 200.00 cm x 103.30 cm / 120.00 kg (two parts, each 60.00 kg); Steel Frame: 155.80 cm x 277.00 cm / 20.00 kg; Video: 43 mins. Ed 1/3.
  • object type:
  • credit line:
    National Galleries of Scotland. Purchased 2023. Co-commissioned by Scotland+Venice and Forma Arts, London and produced by Forma Arts.
  • accession number:
    GMA 5810
  • gallery:
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Alberta Whittle

Alberta Whittle