Gardez L’Eau, by British-Ghanaian artist Enam Gbewonyo, explores themes of trade, travel and colonialism, drawing on the history of Southampton as a gateway to the world. Enam was inspired by the idea of God’s House Tower as a conduit, a transient space of passage, and how the sea has brought war, trade, settlers and so much more to the city.

Starting on the roof of the Tower, a series of soft sculptures made with materials related to the history of GHT – wool, wire and rope – wound their way around the building and through the gallery spaces. Some of the works were co-created with local artists and knitters, through a series of workshops led by Enam and hosted at GHT in the months before the exibition. The sculptures tell the story of the building and of those held captive within its walls as prisoners in the 18th Century. The work also encompasses themes of transience, migration, community and unison. These contrasting narratives reflect the wide-ranging experiences of people that have occupied this building and the town of Southampton over the centuries.

Accompanying the sculptural installation was a soundscape made in collaboration with Southampton-based, Spanish sound artist and producer, Anihma. The soundscape takes inspiration from both historical and contemporary stories of Southampton and its links to Spain and the Caribbean. Sounds from these regions –  English folk music, traditional Basque music, and calypso music – were fused together and amplified in the main gallery space.

To bring the artwork to life, Enam also delivered a live performance on Saturday 16th July as part of the exhibition launch event. Like the soundscape, the performance incorporated references to Southampton, Spain and the Caribbean using movement inspired by Morris dance, Aurresku (a traditional Basque dance) and Masquerade.

A short film, documenting the performance, was also exhibited at God’s House Tower as part of the exhibition. The film was made by the artist in collaboration with filmmaker Freddie Leyden. You can view it below:

Gardez L’Eau is presented as part of Meeting Point, a national programme led by contemporary arts agency Arts&Heritage (www.artsandheritage.org.uk) that partners leading UK and international artists with museums and heritage sites to produce new artworks inspired by the museums and their collections.

With special thanks to Deborah Gearing, Padmini Broomfield and Jo Smith of City Archives for their research and archival support and contributions, including the use of excerpts of Deborah Gearing’s poem within the soundscape. 

Thanks also to all the workshop attendees and the Collecting GHT stories participants.

You can find out more about Enam and explore her work by visiting www.enamgdesigns.com

Download the exhibition guide here