There is Light Somewhere is due to end on 1st September, so there is a week left to view it. This is an unusual collection of artwork, which is what the Hayward Gallery is famous for. Like most artists showing at this gallery, Tavares Strachan, a New York based, Bahamian artist, is one I have never heard of, but the ticket prices are always reasonable and it's worth the risk. I have never been disappointed with any exhibition I have seen here. Surprised, moved, confused, yes, but disappointed, no.
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| The Room of Encyclopaedia of Invisibility |
The website states:
The exhibition highlights Strachan’s innovative approach to celebrating unsung explorers and cultural pioneers, whose stories have often been overlooked due to bias. In shining a light on these hidden histories, the artist highlights our shared yearning for belonging and recognition.
There are collages, sculptures and moving image. They are indeed surprising. A lot of the subject matter deals with colonialism in an unusual way. The overwhelming feeling is one of colour. I was particularly drawn to the room with the different hairstyles. I never knew that slaves used their hair as places to keep things! There was something very beautiful about the styles.
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| Hard to see, but there are tiny numbered dots on here, reminding me of dot-to-dot books. |
Another exhibit I was found fascinating was the 'hut' where music played. In the centre were two old record decks and mixing equipment, while around the stand were sculptures of heads. Music came and faded, as did the lights, and sheet music was pinned to the walls.
However, the most amazing exhibit was on the roof. Here a 14-metre-long Black Star Liner sat on the flooded roof. You could see it from a window, or go out on the roof to view it there. I have never seen anything like it.
From the window 
On the roof
I wasn't sure what to expect when I visited, apart from the few photos I had seen online, but I was pleasantly surprised and at times amazed.
On the website there is a very useful guide to the exhibition (on the right hand side, Need to Know) which can be downloaded. This will take you through all the rooms and give background information on all the exhibits.
The Hayward has a very nice cafe upstairs, which I'd not visited before. There are a few comfy sofas and the windows offer views across London.
Gallery of hairstyles 
Cafe at the Hayward
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