Mohammed Sami’s (b.1984, Baghdad, Iraq) first institutional solo show in the UK will continue his long-standing exploration of memory in relation to time and conflict.
This summer, De La Warr Pavilion will present Mohammed Sami: The Point 0, an exhibition of paintings which continue the artist’s long-standing exploration of memory in relation to time and conflict. Organised in collaboration with Camden Art Centre in London, where a different iteration of the exhibition is currently being presented, the exhibition at De La Warr Pavilion will include four brand new large-scale paintings unveiled here for the first time.
Mohammed Sami was born in Baghdad, Iraq in 1984. Drawing on his experiences living in Iraq and subsequently as a refugee in Sweden, his large-scale paintings exquisitely render abandoned interiors, claustrophobic cityscapes and uncanny depictions of apparently everyday objects including clothing, mattresses, chairs and tables. There is a haunting absence of people in these depictions of space and place, whose power lies as much in what cannot be seen or hovers just beyond the frame.
Working directly onto the canvas using a brush, pallet knife, acrylic and spray paint, Sami never takes photographs or makes sketches, instead mining his own experiences from his formative years in Iraq. Yet while the work is freighted with personal memories, it is ambiguous enough to invite multiple associations and readings within each enigmatic composition.
Presented in a site-specific installation in DLWP’s ocean-facing Ground floor gallery, the exhibition will be accompanied by the first dedicated monograph on Sami, designed by Fraser Muggeridge with essays by Darian Leader and Amy Sherlock.
The Point 0 is organised by Camden Art Centre in collaboration with De La Warr Pavilion. The first iteration is currently on display at Camden Art Centre until 28 May 2023.
IN THE PRESS
From Camden Arts Centre
Mohammed Sami: The Point 0; Giorgio Morandi: Masterpieces from the Magnani-Rocca Foundation – review | Laura Cumming
There are plenty of welcoming and good value B&Bs & boutique hotels in Bexhill. The De La Warr Pavilion regularly uses the following :
- By Rail
Direct trains go from London Victoria, Brighton and Ashford to Bexhill.
There are also trains from London Charing Cross, changing at St. Leonards Warrior Square and from London Bridge or Charing Cross going to Battle. Battle is only a short taxi journey away (15 mins approx).
Visit www.nationalrail.co.uk for up-to-date train travel information. - Taxis
Town Taxis: 01424 211 511
Parkhurst Taxis: 01424 733 456 - By Car
If driving from the London area:
Take the M25, then A21 to Hastings. Turn off at John‘s Cross and follow the signs to Bexhill.
OR
Take the A22 to Eastbourne, go across the Bishop roundabout to the A271 and follow the signs to Bexhill and the seafront. The De La Warr Pavilion is on the Marina.
From the Brighton area:
Follow the A27 out of Brighton until you arrive in Bexhill On Sea. - Parking
Please be aware the Rother District car park outside the De La Warr Pavilion operates paid parking until 8pm. After this time parking is free. There is also lmiited free car parking along the seafront.
Within the limits of this Grade One listed building, the De La Warr Pavilion strives to be fully accessible with a range of facilities to support your visit.
Assistance Dogs are permitted into the building.
Please contact the Box Office on 01424 229 111 to arrange a visit.
Facilities for disabled visitors
- Ramped access at the front of the building
- A low counter at the Box Office and Information Desk
- Disabled toilets on two floors
- A lift to all floors
- Accessible galleries on both floors
- An accessible Café
- Spaces for wheelchairs in the auditorium for seated events
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Facilities for the hard-of-hearing
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