Gallery 1957, London is proud to present The Mothership Connection by British-Trinidadian artist Zak Ové at Frieze Sculpture (20 September – 29 October 2023). On public display for the first time, the sculpture – a nine-metre-tall multicoloured futuristic totem structure – is Ové’s largest work to date.
The Mothership Connection interweaves elements of Totem making, Afrofuturism, cultural traditions, and architecture, highlighting unrecognised achievements of the African Diaspora to Western modern culture. By combining these elements, Ové aims to spark wider conversations about black identity, challenge established Western historical narratives and present an alternative future which celebrates our shared history.
Taking inspiration from the history of architecture, The Mothership Connection references the unseen contributions of slaves who laboured on many significant historical Western buildings, such as Washington’s Capitol building, questioning historical narratives around its construction. It also references well-known African architecture, such as the base of the sculpture which resembles the famous Djenné mud mosque of Mali. In addition, the Totem references the future– a common theme in Ové’s work. Akin to a space rocket, it presents a vehicle for Afrofuturist space travel, taking inspiration from African tribal relationships with outer space.
References to African traditions include the super-sized Mende helmet mask seen at the top of the work, worn exclusively by women from Sierra Leone to perform healing ceremonies and reinterpreted by Ové as a healer of pain and suffering of the invisible lost African Diaspora.
The Mothership Connection’s title was borrowed from the album of the Afrofuturist Funkadelic group Parliament, who provided a black utopian vision of the future for Ové growing up, which the artist proudly references today.
Ové, who found critical acclaim for his public sculptural installations Moko Jumbies at the British Museum in London, UK in 2015, and Invisible Man and the Masque of Blackness at San Francisco’s City Hall, USA in 2018, comments:
“I am thrilled that the public will have the opportunity to experience 'The Mothership Connection' at Frieze Sculpture. Through this sculpture, I aim to create a space for dialogue and reflection, igniting conversations that inspire a greater understanding of contributions from Black communities to modern history. I am pleased to continue my collaboration with Gallery 1957 in Accra, where I can deepen my interrogations into black identity as an artist-in-residence.”
Marwan Zakhem, Founder of Gallery 1957, comments:
"We are pleased to be working with Zak Ové, a visionary artist whose work resonates deeply with Gallery 1957’s commitment to champion wider conversations on black identity. Being part of Frieze Sculpture for the first time and expanding our presence to Frieze Seoul are significant milestones for the gallery. They are testament to our dedication to promote art from the African Diaspora on a global scale."
Following its showcase at Frieze Sculpture, The Mothership Connection will go on show at The Design Museum in London from November 2023 to march 2024.
