Larry Achiampong

Larry Achiampong’s solo and collaborative projects employ imagery, aural and visual archives, live performance and sound to explore ideas surrounding class, cross-cultural and post-digital identity – in particular, dichotomies found within a world dominated by social media and digital frameworks.

With the enduring expansion and sharing of information via the Internet, the idea of a one-size-fits-all version of history, as previously dictated, continues to be eradicated. At the heart of this phenomenon lies Achiampong’s increased interest in what new truths or versions become available, the multiple possibilities that are created and maintained in the digital realm and the consequences related to ‘IRL’ or ‘In Real Life’. Achiampong crate-digs the vaults of history, splicing audible and visual qualities of the personal and interpersonal archive-as-material – offering multiple dispositions that reveal the socio-political contradictions in contemporary society.Achiampong has exhibited, performed and presented projects within the UK and abroad including Tate Britain/Modern, London; dOCUMENTA 13, Kassel; The Institute For Creative Arts, Cape Town; The British Film Institute, London; Modern Art Oxford, Oxford; David Roberts Art Foundation, London; SAVVY Contemporary, Berlin; Bokoor African Popular Music Archives Foundation, Accra; The Mistake Room, Los Angeles; and Logan Center Exhibitions, Chicago.

Achiampong’s recent residencies include Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle; Praksis, Oslo; The British Library/Sound & Music, London; Wysing Arts Centre, Cambridge; and Primary, Nottingham. He’s currently artist in residence at Somerset House Studios (London) and is a current recipient of the Artist’s Bursary Scheme with Artsadmin (London). Achiampong is currently exhibiting artwork in the Diaspora Pavilion at the 57th Venice Biennale, and is displaying his flag commission atop of Somerset House until late January 2018. He has also been selected for the fourth iteration of Prospect New Orleans’ international art exhibition, Prospect.4 (P.4).

Achiampong (b. 1984, UK) completed a BA in Mixed Media Fine Art at University of Westminster (2005) and an MA in Sculpture at Slade School of Fine Art (2008). He lives and works in London.