Liverpool, once the slave-trading capital of Britain, bears the weighty legacy of the transatlantic slave trade. The 12th edition of the Liverpool Biennial, showcasing the works of predominantly Black, Asian, and Indigenous artists, reflects the city’s dark history. One striking piece is Brazilian artist Isa do Rosário’s textile installation, “Dance with Death on the Atlantic Sea”, featuring bright blue fabric suspended from the ceiling, adorned with sketch-like paintings. Upon closer inspection, the chaotic brushstrokes reveal black dots and fabric pieces symbolizing the Black lives lost during the slave trade.
The theme of this edition, titled “uMoya: The Sacred Return of Lost Things”, takes its inspiration from the word “uMoya” in the isiZulu language, which encompasses the notions of spirit, breath, air, climate, and wind. Curator Khanyisile Mbongwa, hailing from Cape Town, aims to emphasize ancestral and indigenous knowledge, wisdom, and healing. Mbongwa, known for her curatorial interests centered around care and repair, previously curated performative practices at the Norval Foundation and led South Africa’s Stellenbosch Triennale in 2020.
The exhibition features 35 artists from 25 countries, showcasing their works in eight indoor galleries, museums, and other spaces, as well as five outdoor sites. Alongside addressing the transatlantic slave trade, the artworks grapple with the impacts of colonialism on communities and the environment. Rather than seeking to visually shock, these works aim to awaken and stir the spirit.
One artwork that particularly confronts the slave trade is Binta Diaw’s “Chorus of Soil” exhibited at the Tobacco Warehouse. The Senegalese-Italian artist employs soil to map out the 18th-century plan of the Brooks slave ship, which transported approximately 5,000 enslaved individuals from Liverpool to the Caribbean between 1782 and 1804. The installation, nearly 1:1 scale, evokes a sense of awe and bewilderment when one considers that this vessel carried hundreds of people who endured months of suffering and dehumanization. The daunting configuration of the ship, where each man was allotted a space of 6ft x 1ft 4in and each woman had 5ft 10in x 1ft 4in, serves as a stark reminder of the cruel treatment endured by enslaved people.
At Tate Liverpool, American artist Torkwase Dyson presents “Liquid a Place” (2021), three imposing structures created from steel, brass, mirror, and graphite, which call for silent contemplation. Dyson’s work often explores the intersection of Black liberation, ecology, and architecture. The curved structures resemble ship hulls or tombstones, exuding an eerie aura.
Scale plays a significant role in the biennial, with many works occupying vast amounts of space on floors, walls, or in the air. Fragrance also takes center stage, with entire rooms engulfed in scents. For instance, Lungiswa Gqunta’s irregular-shaped illuminated green floor sculptures emit an oil-like odor reminiscent of petrol bombs used in South African civil protests, filling the Cotton Exchange. In contrast, the sweet aroma of pineapple fills Tate Liverpool, courtesy of Guatemalan artist Edgar Calel’s installation “Ru K’ox k’ob’er jun over etemab’el” (An Echo of An Ancient Form of Knowledge) (2021). This piece pays homage to Calel’s ancestral home and people, as fruits and vegetables rest on stones.
While catastrophe pervades the biennial, it is also a space of healing, as envisioned by Mbongwa. Rudy Loewe’s vibrant and colorful installation captures the scene of joy and emancipation, depicting Moko jumbie (a stilt walker) and carnival mas players. Several works, including Calel’s, center around the concept of “offering” by creating sacred shrines that honor ancestors. Charmaine Watkiss’s installation, adorned with mudlark finds, echoes ancient African and Caribbean burial sites. Albert Ibokwe Khoza’s shrine, featuring cow bones atop a pile of soil and surrounded by fruit, drinks, and candles, pays tribute to Sarah Baartman, a Khoikhoi woman whose body was objectified and exhibited in Europe during the 19th century.
Nevertheless, the biennial’s strength, its connectivity and rapport, can sometimes result in redundancy when similar works follow one after another. Conversely, deviations from the main themes can feel out of place, as in the case of Melanie Manchot’s film project “Stephen” (2023), which explores the impact of gambling on local individuals. Nonetheless, striking a balance between numerous global voices is a daunting task, and Mbongwa successfully grants each artwork the space it needs to stand alone while engaging in conversation with others.
This edition of the Liverpool Biennial presents a moving experience. While not necessarily groundbreaking in terms of presenting new information, it serves as a reminder of the enduring importance of shedding light on the shadowy aspects of the British empire. The biennial runs until September 17.
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