Virginia Ryan is an artist, working with installations, sculptures and painting. I visited her atelier in Trevi , Umbria (Italy) and she showed me an interesting project done with photography.
Her work is part of a series of different projects done on West Africa. The photographs showing the spaces of the slave's houses from the colonial period.
I am happy to share this, below the statement of the project
These photos were taken in 2008 by Virginia Ryan in the company of american artist Tom Joyce and sound artist and anthropologist Steve Feld.The photos were taken late afternoon , mainly through dorors and windows of the abandoned fort,once used to house slaves and later a prison under British rule in the years proceeding independence in 1957.
Ryan was hoping to capture something of the nature of imprisoned memories.
'If walls could speak' she says'these walls and rooms would tell a story of deep sorrow. But then, there is also the maginificent painting of the walls by sea spray and salt,over decades, so that nature, the outside environment and the inside shell of the past, join to paint a new picture of deep loss and re-collection.'
