These are two exhibtions from the artist, Susan Aldworth, which explore the sense of self. The immersive installation BELONGINGS aims to create pathways for belonging for people seeking sanctuary. Featuring the imagined contents of the suitcase the artist’s grandmother brought with her when she was migrating from Northern Italy to London in 1924, the installation features thirty-five individual antique clothes. Suspended in mid-air, they highlight the transitory and emotional nature of an uprooted life.
In Gallery 2, Modern Alchemy sees the artist share the results of a collaboration with Dr Amanda Jarvis of the University of Edinburgh whose research in sustainable chemistry explores how to make chemical synthesis greener, including recycling and replacing precious metals with cheaper, more abundant alternatives. To mirror this in her print making, Aldworth decided to switch from expensive copper and zinc plates to cheaper steel plates in her etchings. By throwing chemicals into the aquatint resin before it was fired onto the plate surface, Aldworth has developed a visual equivalence of catalysis, capturing a moment of chemical reaction.
