Marinella Senatore's Afterglow exhibition in London explores social change through light and performance

Marinella Senatore's multi-site exhibition Afterglow in London features performances and light sculptures aimed at fostering social change through collective experiences. The opening event at Battersea Power Station included a gospel choir, gymnasts, tango dancers, wrestlers, a steel band playing David Bowie's Life on Mars (1971), and an operatic solo, with groups like Pointe Black and Esprit Concrete highlighting progressive principles. Light sculptures with quotes from Jeff Brown and Robert Ingersoll were installed at Battersea, SIAL primary school, and Petersham Nurseries, while schoolchildren performed an Italian WWII-era song in solidarity with Ukraine. The exhibition marks the ten-year anniversary of Senatore's School of Narrative Dance, emphasizing transformative power. A concurrent gallery show at Mazzoleni Art on Bond Street includes light boxes quoting Walt Whitman, glass hand sculptures, and pencil drawings of protests featuring suffragettes, Barnsley Miners' Wives, and Pussy Riot, alongside a misquoted Samuel Beckett lightwork. The exhibition raises questions about accessibility and contradictions in elite venues like Battersea's luxury development. Afterglow runs through 26 August across various London locations.