Untitled (In Suspense)

The work Untitled (In Suspense) by Forbes comprises an installation featuring twelve figures suspended upside down by ropes attached to their ankles. These ropes hang over four steel poles, each three meters high, which crisscross and attached to the surrounding walls near the floor. Some of the figures are adorned with life jackets, and additional life jackets are scattered on the floor. These figures, moulded in Jesmonite, loosely resemble 'Christ' like figures, but lack arms. The installation also incorporates a couple of warning posters. In addition, there are plans for a large-scale photographic piece depicting 'Mary' and two children, with the 'Mary' figure holding a club while standing on a black man's chest, flanked by a small crucifixion and two tall candelabras.

​

The context of this installation emerges from Forbes’ sustained questioning of religion, particularly Christianity, and its role in shaping racialised distinctions based on skin tone. Forbes critiques how Christianity has historically legitimised racialised hierarchies and the marginalisation of black and brown people. Central to this critique is the narrative of the Curse of Ham, frequently invoked to justify systemic inequality and discrimination. In Untitled (In Suspense), Forbes examines the dominance of the white European male image of Christ and its function in reinforcing racialised categories and hierarchies. The suspended, contorted figures operate as a visual metaphor for the broader societal consequences of religious narratives that have historically oppressed and exploited racialised communities.

 

Forbes also critiques the historical role of Christian missionaries who travelled worldwide preaching the Christian faith, which often preceded the exploitation of indigenous populations by European powers and the slave trade. The installation invites viewers to reflect on the intersections of religion, racialisation, power and to critically examine the narratives that have shaped our understanding of racialised politics.

 

The forthcoming photographic piece, shown below and intended for inclusion in future installations, further extends this critique by juxtaposing religious iconography with scenes of racialised violence and subjugation. The depiction of ‘Mary’ standing on a black man’s chest while holding a club starkly exposes the power dynamics embedded within religious and racialised contexts. The presence of a small crucifixion scene and candelabrums situates the work within a broader religious framework, while simultaneously challenging conventional interpretations of Christian iconography.

​

This last form of invisibility has already arisen in these reflections, through a challenge to double consciousness, or the imposed, false image, born of historical misrepresentation and produced by institutions, of blacks and other people of color. If whites are the only agents of history, then only the products of whites would be historical. This is the whitewashing of history—whether cultural, intellectual, political, social, or even theological or mythical: even ancient Egyptians and Judeans, and Jesus in particular, become white.

Lewis Gordon

 

In western cultures, the dichotomy of white and black is deeply embedded and often aligns with other significant dualisms such as light versus dark, heaven versus earth, and good versus evil. This binary opposition carries profound symbolic weight, wherein whiteness is frequently associated with virtues such as goodness, purity, and truth (a white lie is good), while blackness is linked with evil, impurity, and falsehood. These associations are particularly prominent in Christian iconography, where Christ is traditionally depicted as white, thus reinforcing the notion of whiteness as synonymous with divinity and moral rectitude.

 

Forbes acknowledges the profound impact of religions in shaping societal structures and attitudes over the centuries, often to the detriment of black people. The fervent missionary activities that characterised Western religions during the colonial era significantly influenced the African diaspora. These missions promoted a version of Christianity that was deeply intertwined with notions of whiteness, conditioning many Africans to equate Christ, and by extension moral and spiritual authority, with whiteness.

 

The life jackets within the installation reference the perilous journeys of migrants crossing the Mediterranean and the English Channel in unsuitable boats, often resulting in loss of life. This imagery draws attention to the lack of support for migrants and the numerous abuses they suffer enroute to trafficking points in North Africa. By incorporating life jackets, Forbes juxtaposes themes of salvation and safety with the precariousness of the figures suspended states, thereby evoking a sense of tension and discomfort.

 

​

​