Taking its title from an Akan Adinkra symbol and name for a double skin talking drum, Dono expands on the artists’ shared interest in sound and communication. A collaboration initiated by curator Jareh Das and Somerset House Studios, and developed in dialogue with one another, Boakye-Yiadom and Morrison consider musical, linguistic and architectural forms of meaning-making, interrogating the boundaries of language.
Dono trials alternative forms of communication, considering the generative potential of repetition, concealment and misunderstanding. The exhibition is treated as a testing ground and rehearsal room, exploring how space and institutional structures shape our language, music and sociality.
Dono is the latest work in G31, a project space dedicated to the work of Somerset House Studios and its residency programmes. Open year round, G31 hosts a programme of installations and activities, many of which are free, as part of the wider Somerset House Studios programme. The room was designated G31 by the Inland Revenue, who occupied the building up until 2012. Its transformation into a space for experimentation reflects the ongoing mission of the Studios to support process and collaboration across artistic disciplines.
Appau Jnr Boakye-Yiadom's work is produced with the support of Wysing Arts Centre, Modern Art Oxford, Somerset House Studios and South London Gallery as part of the Donna Lynas Residency.
