Nan Goldin, the acclaimed American photographer and activist, will unveil her artwork, “Sisters, Saints, Sibyls,” from May 30 to June 23 in a deconsecrated Presbyterian church in London’s Soho district, known as the Welsh chapel. In the 1980s, the venue was also a fashionable nightclub called the Limelight.
The installation is a three-channel film presentation that focuses on issues related to mental health, addiction, and suicide. The film delves into the mythological history of Christian martyr Saint Barbara alongside a narrative that highlights the life of Goldin’s older sister, Barbara Holly Goldin, who was institutionalised in a psychiatric detention centre at the age of 12. Barbara’s refusal to shave her legs was among the reasons cited for her detention.
Goldin’s history is also a salient aspect of the installation, detailing how she ultimately found a community of like-minded individuals. When Goldin was 11, her sister Barbara died by suicide at the age of 19 by lying in front of an oncoming train.
Goldin created the work in 2004 for the Hôpital de la Salpêtrière chapel in Paris, established as an asylum in 1656. In 2006. She explained the film’s impetus, stating, “I intend to explore the relationship between the story of my sister, myself, and Saint Barbara and, more generally, the parallel between saints and modern rebellious women.”
Goldin remains an advocate for the addiction advocacy group Pain. She expressed her sentiments about suicide to The Guardian, stating, “I don’t think you ever come to terms with a suicide, especially if it is someone you admired and needed and whose death was so violent. It’s an act that never destroys just one person. But there was no ambiguity about what she did; I take that as courage.” Goldin also is an active member of the Free Palestine movement that seeks an immediate cease-fire in the region.
The Welsh Chapel, located at 83 Charing Cross Road, London, is hosting the installation from May 30 to June 23, 2022. The Goldin project is the second presentation of Gagosian Open, a nomadic venture that invites artists to exhibit in offsite indoor and outdoor spaces.
Nan Goldin was born in Washington, D.C., in 1953. She is best known for her intimate and raw photographs of her friends and lovers in the LGBTQ community in New York City during the 1970s and 1980s. Her work often explores themes of love, sexuality, addiction, and identity.
Goldin has exhibited her work in major galleries and museums worldwide and has received numerous awards, including the Hasselblad Foundation International Award in Photography. In addition to her photography, she has also worked on various film and video installations, including “Sisters, Saints, Sibyls,” which explores the mythological history of Saint Barbara and her own personal history.
The film presentation, which was initially conceived in 2004 for the Hôpital de la Salpêtrière chapel in Paris, focuses on Goldin’s elder sister, Barbara Holly Goldin, who was sent to a psychiatric detention centre aged 12. Barbara’s refusal to shave her legs was one of the reasons given for her incarceration, and when Goldin was 11, Barbara died by suicide at the age of 19 by lying in front of an oncoming train. The film also focuses on Goldin’s history, outlining how she ultimately “found her tribe of fellow rebels”. The installation is also for sale and is included in her current touring museum exhibition.
Goldin is an influential figure in contemporary photography whose work has significantly impacted the art world. Her retrospective, “This Will Not End Well,” was recently held at Moderna Museet, Stockholm, and Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam and will travel to the Neue Nationalgalerie, Berlin. Sisters, Saints, and Sibyls will be open for extended hours during London Gallery Weekend from May 31 to June 2.
The presentation, which deals with mental health issues, addiction and suicide, is part of the Gagosian Open project, a nomadic venture that invites artists to exhibit in offsite spaces. The project is the second of its kind, following the exhibition of early wrapped works by the late Bulgarian-born artist Christo last October in a Georgian townhouse on Princelet Street in Spitalfields, East London.
According to a spokesperson for Gagosian, Goldin’s work is one of her most significant, large-scale, long-form video works. It was initially created in an edition of five.
Photo: © Nan Goldin
Sisters, Saints, and Sibyls will be open for extended hours during London Gallery Weekend (31 May-2 June).