Glasgow International Festival of Contemporary Art

Lavendra

A room with pink neon lights has three screens on the floor, next to sitting blocks and on the walls it has five fabric hanging with images of women on it.
E. Jane, Lavendra, 2018
Installation view, Kelvin Hall, Glasgow International 2018
Image: Alan Dimmick
A room with pink neon lights has four fabrics hanging from the ceiling with images of women on it as a part of E. Jane's installation in Kelvin Hall as part of Glasgow International 2018.
E. Jane, Lavendra, 2018
Installation view, Kelvin Hall, Glasgow International 2018
Image: Alan Dimmick
A room with several fabrics of purple colours hung on the wall and a tv screen with a video as a part of E. Jane's installation in Kelvin Hall as part of Glasgow International 2018.
E. Jane, Lavendra, 2018
Installation view, Kelvin Hall, Glasgow International 2018
Image: Alan Dimmick
A room with pink neon lights has four fabrics hanging from the ceiling with images of women on it as a part of E. Jane's installation in Kelvin Hall as part of Glasgow International 2018.
E. Jane, Lavendra, 2018
Installation view, Kelvin Hall, Glasgow International 2018
Image: Alan Dimmick
A close-up of a fabric illuminated with pink neon lights that has collage of images of women on it as a part of E. Jane's installation in Kelvin Hall as part of Glasgow International 2018.
E. Jane, Lavendra, 2018
Installation view, Kelvin Hall, Glasgow International 2018
Image: Alan Dimmick

Kelvin Hall

Lavendra is the name given by American artist and sound designer E. Jane to a fantastical brown dwarf star, an imagined planetary cosmos ‘stabilised’ for human presence by the harmonising influence of 1990s black pop divas including Aaliyah, Whitney Houston and Toni Braxton.

In the historic Kelvin Hall, visitors encountered an intimate space that had been soaked in gradients of pink, purple and blue light. It contained collages and fan-style music videos filmed in domestic space spliced with images of the artist performing in video-collaged environments. It was a scenario that in particular allowed E. Jane’s diva alter-ego, MHYSA to come through. MHYSA performed in these videos, in live solo performances and in performance art and music duo SCRAAATCH alongside producer lawd knows.

Taking in themes associated with Afrofuturism, Lavendra was driven by both a sense of what might be magical in the internet era – when identity and representation are given a heightened digital public platform – as well as a desire to heal.

Supported by Glasgow Museums and The Henry Moore Foundation.