Sophia Al-Maria and Lydia Ourahmane interrogate English identity in 'Grey Unpleasant Land' at Spike Island

Sophia Al-Maria and Lydia Ourahmane's exhibition 'Grey Unpleasant Land' at Spike Island in Bristol challenges English identity through installations that question inheritance, land ownership, and power structures. The show features works like 'Terra Nullius' (2024), an intervention in The Spectator magazine that satirizes land distribution, and 'Birthright' (2024), a pallet of Scottish sandstone that critiques monarchical legitimacy. Other pieces include 'Job Lot' and 'Silver Service', which contrast inherited chamber pots from a pub owner's son with George III silver from an aristocrat, highlighting social inequalities. 'Fly Tip' (2024) displays illegally dumped belongings from Bristol, while 'Curtain' (2024) salvaged from Ghislaine Maxwell's former London address references darker histories. The exhibition runs until 19 January 2025 and uses AI-generated text in 'A Blessing and a Betrayal' (2024) to reimagine biblical narratives. Display fittings from the National Gallery for the Wilton Diptych are presented as 'Framing Device I and II' (2024), questioning institutional roles in shaping cultural narratives.