The flesh of language / Feoil na teangan

The flesh of language / Feoil na teangan is an exhibition with newly commissioned and reconfigured works from Farouk858, Paddy Critchley and Rose Nordin, gathering practices that speak to the political, material, metaphysical and somatic dimensions of language and text.

Paddy Critchley is interested in painting in its ‘high’ and ‘low’ cultural forms; on canvas, painting and decorating, and in sign-painted lettering. This body of work traces people’s stories through oral traditions in Ireland such as the singing of ballads, telling of stories and the transmission of the Irish language.

Through her practice and research, Rose Nordin is interested in ritual knowledge production in the processes that convene and commune for bookmaking. Her work considers publications as portals and letterforms as modes of animism. This new work for Project draws from indigenous Malay magic rituals and talismanic objects generated through metal divination and AI imaging.

In a publicly-produced work on Project’s facade, Farouk858 explores self-presentation, masking, and interior life within our digitally-generated and fleshly worlds. Layering the handmade over AI-produced images, he ‘samples’ language from his own raw emotions and surrounding events during a live painting process.

Visual identity by Rose Nordin

Sound by Sami El-Enany

Farouk858 film in collaboration with Finn Harney

With huge thanks to Black Church Print Studio.