MICHAEL MACGARRY | The Wound & The Ghost

The artist believes that history is never really finished. Even when people say a problem is over, the effects of it can stay around for a very long time. Old hurts, unfairness, and difficult memories can continue to affect people, even if they are no longer talked about.

The exhibition is called The Wound & The Ghost. The "wound" represents pain or harm from the past, while the "ghost" represents memories and effects that remain after something has happened. The artist thinks these two things are connected: old wounds create ghosts, and ghosts remind us of old wounds.

The artworks are inspired by a system called a tontine, where people put money together, and as participants die, the survivors receive a bigger share. The artist uses this idea to think about how some people benefit while others are left behind. He suggests that this way of thinking still exists in society today.

Skeletons appear throughout the exhibition. They are not just symbols of death. The skeletons are based on the artist's own body size and shape, making the work personal and reminding us that these ideas affect real people.

Although the exhibition deals with serious topics, the artist also uses humour and dark jokes. He believes humour can help people talk about painful subjects and question things they might otherwise accept without thinking.

In the end, the exhibition is not trying to solve history's problems or make old pain disappear. Instead, it asks us to pay attention to the wounds and ghosts that remain around us, because understanding them helps us better understand ourselves and the world we live in.

In One Sentence

This exhibition explores how the pain and unfairness of the past can continue to affect people today, even when we think those problems are over.

For any further enquiries please contact gallery@everard.co.za