R.I.P. Germain

5 Jul-13 Oct 2024

PV 4 Jul 2024, 6-8pm

Overview

In "After GOD, Dudus Comes Next!", R.I.P. Germain explores the concept of ‘false fronts’: spaces that look like one thing, but function as something else, or otherwise occlude some of their operations from general access. The gallery presents a street facade with three such establishments, that each reveal or conceal their purpose to varying degrees, depending on who you are. Inside each space are hundreds of visible and hidden objects that may or may not hold significance for us; to understand their meaning relies on our own background and understanding of the world. They act as clues and codes - perhaps evoking a reaction, or not resonating at all. Through architecting these spaces, the artist examines how exclusionary structures shape alternative spaces and behaviours, shedding light on how those who feel the need to create support networks do so when official resources are inaccessible, and how illegal activity quite literally fills gaps in the fabric of our cities.

We can use the micro of our own experiences to explore the macro of the systems that shape the world. Assumptions - sometimes accurate, sometimes inaccurate - are projected onto us, but this is not a passive experience. They have an impact regardless of whether we ignore them, lean into them, or create opportunities to exploit them. Social currency allows access to spaces and experiences - for example, being invited into the V.I.P. area of a jewellery store, or being a part of a sacred ritual. "After GOD, Dudus Comes Next!" serves as a breathing space to consider the complex overlaps between alternative currencies, gate-kept spaces and odd logics that structure hidden worlds. R.I.P. Germain isn’t asking us to be entirely comfortable with our experience of the work, but to explore connections between subcultures and broader cultural landscapes, urging a reevaluation of entrenched norms and perceptions.

Artists