guardian angel.
an immersive audiovisual performance exploring nigerian catholicism, family & spirituality.
production design.
name: guardian angel
in collaboration with: olukemi lijadu
services provided: production design
location: london, uk
budget: $975 / £750
size: 861 sqft / 80 sqm
year: 2022
Guardian Angel was a multi-screen projection and multi-sensory live performance by my dear friend, dj & filmmaker, olukemi lijadu. commissioned by the institute of contemporary art london, kemi’s work explores her relationship with catholicism, nigerian origin, and study of african philosophy – ultimately forming as an homage to her spiritual grandmother.
after a serendipitous facetime during her application to the grant, kemi brought me on to do production design — which we defined as the space encapsulating the film & sound experience. inspired by the grandeur of catholic architecture, the space recreates a soft, dream-like structure out of cascading fabric.
i chose fabric as a fluid malleable material that could speak to both the opulence of catholicism and surrealism of spirituality. most material was sourced from fabscrap, a textile reuse & recycling non-profit with a warehouse in brooklyn. characterized by shiny textured hues of off white draped from a dome, church incense and soft yellow lighting — the enclosure complimented the film’s attempt to reconcile the violence and euphoria born from the advent of christianity in west africa.
since the initial screening, Guardian Angel has been screened at VO Curations in london, Mariane Ibrahim Gallery in chicago and The Treehouse in lagos.
listen to kemi & me discuss our collaboration on ghanaian radio station oroko radio.
the following september, kemi’s own studio, VO Curations, hosted a second rendition of Guardian Angel in their exhibition space. i adjusted the spatial design and drapery to accommodate the smaller, more compact and intimate setting.
