There Are No Honest Poems About Dead Women: Jemma Desai

A new body of work by Somerset House Studios artist Jemma Desai, presented as an installation in G31. At the heart of There Are No Honest Poems About Dead Women is a film that assembles archival footage, text, song and new 16mm material. Drawn from the work of poets, writers, musicians and artists, these extracts form a collage of image and sound that brings together real and imagined scenes of feminist coalition and inheritance. The work prompts us to consider what commitments we might make when forming relationships across the intimate and the political, and how such relationships might be rehearsed, reimagined and received anew. The film is screened on the hour and has a running time of 54 minutes. Accompanying the work is a specially produced publication bringing together research and new writing by Jemma Desai, designed by Rose Nordin. Content warning: This installation contains references to sexual abuse, suicide, and police brutality. Viewer discretion is advised.