THOMIAS RADIN – OLD SOUL – NEW SOUL
2024-11-11Regardless of the medium, Radin’s practice is centered in an embodied knowledge formed by his background in dance as well as by growing up between the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe and France. For Radin, the Black subjects of his paintings, sculptures, performances, and films are carriers of memory and movement. Movement that tells a story of deep spirituality, inherited, linked to ancient knowledge, yet still evolving and alive.
Old Soul – New Soul ties into Radin’s core belief in the importance of intergenerational knowledge and listening between one’s elders as well as the new generation. The exhibition presents Radin’s practice through painting, sculpture, and performance. On the first floor, in the window space, one encounters an installation composed of wooden dominoes and Ka Spirit drums. This installation establishes the distinctly Caribbean rhythm of the exhibition. The sculptures are hand-carved from wood decorated with figures and staining, and embellished with appliqués. In their very essence, these works are intergenerational, as Radin’s uncle—a master in Gwo Ka music—first shapes the drum before the artist carves and paints it intricately by hand. The oversized dominoes also pay tribute to everyday life in Guadeloupe, as they remind us of the game played by people of all ages. Although deceptively simple in its rules, to play dominoes well requires both mathematic skills and cunning strategy.
Opposite – Chaviré, Soukouss, Liberation, 2024
Exhibition runs through to December 14th, 2024
Esther Schipper
6, Noksapyeong-daero 46ga-gil, Yongsan-gu
04345 Seoul
South Korea
