Ronan Mckenzie
16.03. – 06.04.19:
MOVE
Ronan Mckenzie
curated by Jamila Prowse
MOVE – Ronan Mckenzie
MOVE is a solo exhibition from Ronan Mckenzie, exploring the strength and beauty of black women through dance. Mckenzie invited contributors to film themselves dancing; some dance alone, others with friends, some dance while cooking, others in the solitude of their bedrooms. The women are unified in the freedom of their movements, but there is multiplicity in how that movement is expressed.
Centring the unique perspectives of the women who contributed to the project, the series dispels stereotypes around the black body. Mckenzie uncovers the multifacetedness of the black female experience, by focusing on the inherent intricacies of personal movement and the distinctive way each body moves through the world.
The Basel iteration of MOVE for 1.1 is displayed as a domestic installation, close to one in which the videos were filmed. Mckenzie opens up the exhibition space, asking the viewer to step into an intimate world, to share in the universal joy of dance.
“For me, as a black woman, I feel that being able to dance is something expected of me. Dance and music is a huge part of my life, often my day starts with moving my body solely for the pleasure of myself. I want to show the diversity of the black body, and the black experience, utilising the instrument that is unique to each of us.” – Ronan Mckenzie
MOVE is a solo exhibition from Ronan Mckenzie, exploring the strength and beauty of black women through dance. Mckenzie invited contributors to film themselves dancing; some dance alone, others with friends, some dance while cooking, others in the solitude of their bedrooms. The women are unified in the freedom of their movements, but there is multiplicity in how that movement is expressed.
Centring the unique perspectives of the women who contributed to the project, the series dispels stereotypes around the black body. Mckenzie uncovers the multifacetedness of the black female experience, by focusing on the inherent intricacies of personal movement and the distinctive way each body moves through the world.
The Basel iteration of MOVE for 1.1 is displayed as a domestic installation, close to one in which the videos were filmed. Mckenzie opens up the exhibition space, asking the viewer to step into an intimate world, to share in the universal joy of dance.
“For me, as a black woman, I feel that being able to dance is something expected of me. Dance and music is a huge part of my life, often my day starts with moving my body solely for the pleasure of myself. I want to show the diversity of the black body, and the black experience, utilising the instrument that is unique to each of us.” – Ronan Mckenzie
Walthamstow born Ronan Mckenzie has been blurring the lines between fashion and documentary photography through her natural and honest aesthetic for the past four years. Alongside shooting for brands including Adidas, Stella McCartney, MARIEYAT, Base Range and Nike, Ronan self-published a 300 page hard cover book titled ‘HARD EARS’ (2016) which aimed to create a non-hierarchical platform to showcase the work of talented people regardless of age and online popularity. She recently presented I’M HOME, a group exhibition exploring ideas of home and family through the eyes of black female photographers.
Jamila Prowse is an independent curator, writer and editor. She is the founder of Typical Girls Magazine, which seeks to widen the representation of self-identifying women in the media. Presently, Jamila works as the Assistant Producer delivering SPACE’s public programme of exhibitions, events and learning. Prior to this Jamila was Project Manager at Lighthouse, working across exhibitions, talks, performances, podcasts and films, including a new commission with Haroon Mirza.
All Photos by James Bantone with exception of film stills (2, 7, 11, 14)