Between 2019 and 2020, Ndidi Dike developed a new body of research towards the artist’s first presentation in Scotland. Titled Hushed, this exhibition was to focus on a site-specific installation and the artist’s presence in Scotland was imperative to the creation of the work.

Instead, as a response to the pandemic, a publication of the same name contextualises Dike’s research into the colonial cloth trade, paying particular attention to plants that have been used as sources of the blue dye indigo, in conjunction with interlinking research by various other artists. Hushed includes images from Dike’s research, a conversation with curator Natalia Palombo, an interview with Joyce Woodcock, and commissioned text from Raisa Kabir and Lucille Junkere.

Dike’s practice often examines global histories, including the pre- and post-colonial legacies of slavery, forced migration, resource extraction and the political dimensions of commodity cultures. While referring to the local context of Glasgow and the accountability of Scotland’s own history, Hushed is rooted in the impact of colonialism in ex-colonies, such as Nigeria, but also more broadly across West Africa and the Caribbean.

Curated by Natalia Palombo

Supported by Glasgow International

Digital Publication online from 11 June