Head On at 541: How To Lose A Devil
Gabrielle Menezes
This event has concluded
Dates:
Entry Fee:
Free
Exhibition Event:
Official Opening
05/05/2020 6:00 pm
Gabrielle Menezes. According to traditional beliefs in southern Sri Lanka, there are 18 different devils, we identified modern devils that are corrupting Sri Lankan society.
According to traditional beliefs in southern Sri Lanka, there are 18 different devils that range from anger to cholera. In order to heal or cleanse evil, exorcism dances are performed in elaborate ceremonies called ‘Thovil’ that can involve family members or whole villages. The dancers wear masks and become the evil spirit to call it out of the patient. Working with a group of dancers, we identified modern devils that are corrupting Sri Lankan society.
These are images that are exploring the psychological aftermath of conflict and a country in transition. Sri Lanka is approaching ten years of peace after a civil war divided the country, but many post-conflict issues remain. The new devils include discrimination; remembering the history of war; forgetting the history of war; corruption, and child abuse (the war was notable for recruiting child soldiers). These are images of what young Sri Lankans hope for their country. My work explores how our reality and imagination are linked together, and lies at the crossroads of documentary and fiction. In this series I explore how the body is used as a vessel and how movement is linked to emotional release.
Gabrielle’s career as a photographer has spanned many years, creating photographs and multimedia as a photojournalist for organisations including UNICEF, UNHCR, World Food Programme (WFP), and Save the Children. Her work is primarily multimedia and filmmaking. Her work has explored issues of HIV/AIDS in Cote d’Ivoire, conflict in the Central African Republic, indigenous people’s rights in Bolivia, and refugee issues in Ecuador and Niger. Gabrielle is a self-taught photographer. Working as the West Africa correspondent for Al Jazeera and a producer for Reuters, Gabrielle gradually became disillusioned with producing stories for a news cycle, especially in relation to conflict, and moved into work where she could tell in-depth stories.
List your exhibition or photography event on our site to reach out to the Australian photographic community.
