Published 07 June 2025 in News
Odur Ronald shows his most ambitious installation to date at Liverpool Biennale 2025 - the exhibition runs from 7 June to 14 September.
"Muly'Ato Limu" (translated from Luganda as "All in One Boat") is a commentary on the complexities of migration, blending historical and contemporary narratives to explore the multifaceted experiences of African people.
Using passports as both a symbol and a medium, it delves into the tension between free movement and the restrictions imposed by borders. For Ronald, these documents are more than just identification; they highlight how global mobility and personal autonomy are shaped by societal constraints, ultimately representing permission or denial of freedom to pursue one's aspirations.
Beneath the hanging passports, hand-stitched aluminium chairs symbolise the process of obtaining a visa, where one sits to wait for approval or denial. The jerrycans reference the dangerous and illegal methods people often use to cross the seas to Europe, such as floating on jerrycans or using small, unsafe boats. The arrangement of the installation references the Brooks—a renowned ship that travelled the passage from Liverpool via the West Coast of Africa, carrying over 5,000 enslaved people to plantations in the Caribbean during the transatlantic slave trade.
Venue: The Bluecoat
Images courtesy of Stuart Whipps.