Idris Khan & Annie Morris: When Loss Makes Melodies at Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery

On view from 4 October 2023, a two-person exhibition engaging in a poignant dialogue with the Manor's neo-classical architecture, designed by Sir John Soane.

Showcasing over thirty works that seamlessly traverse the Gallery and historic Manor, the exhibit encapsulates a diverse range of art forms from sculpture and photography to painting and embroidery. Morris’ arresting Stack sculptures stand as a vivid testament to personal loss and the resilience of the human spirit, each irregularly shaped sphere bursting with colour. Khan’s works, such as My Mother (2015), delve into the intricacies of cultural memory and personal history through abstract forms.

What sets the exhibition apart is the synchronicity between the artists. Morris’ vibrant use of colour has nudged Khan towards a more diversified palette, revealing the subtle but influential ways their individual practices converge and inspire one another.

The exhibition features a thoughtfully integrated experience with Morris’ bespoke armchairs and bed linens furnishing Soane’s upper drawing room and bedroom, while Khan’s vinyl overlays adorn the Manor’s conservatory windows. This modern infusion into Soane’s domestic spaces beautifully complements his vision of the Manor as a sanctuary of familial and architectural harmony, even as it acknowledges the layers of love, loss, and estrangement that pervade its history.

At its core, the exhibition explores the timeless connection between contemporary and neo-classical art, enriching our understanding of the complexities that bind memory, emotion, and creative expression.

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Image: Idris Khan, Break down a wall, and there will be love, 2022