Chaos and Hope

curated by Alysha nelson

Hypha Gallery Sugar House Island 1. 6 Sugar House Lane, London, E15 2QS

PV: Thursday, 14th November, 6 – 9pm

Open: 1st November- 7th December, Thursday – Sunday, 12 – 6pm

Chaos and Hope: A Playground for Change is a presentation of selected works that interrogate the interplay between moments of disturbance and hope; positing play as a pivotal yet frequently marginalised construct that underpins the emotional resilience essential for sustained activism. This exhibit transmutes the gallery space into an arena of creative defiance, facilitating an embodied conversation via the convergence of still and live, performance and spectator, community and participation; a critical examination of play’s ontological role as a transformative agent – one that can catalyse profound social change and collective empowerment.

i-dont-have-an-art-history-phd translation:
Marginalised artists are TIRED of constantly being expected to centre suffering in their work, & of feeling like their pain is being commodified. Yes, struggle is real, but so is  ݁ ⟡ ݁ joy  ݁ ⟡ ݁ ., and this exhibit is a celebration of that.

Joy and play are often overlooked, but they’re essential for keeping movements alive and sustainable. This exhibit is a protest, challenging the typical gallery experience by breaking down the barriers between artist x viewer, and the traditional white-box art world. It asks, who gets to decide what art is, and who art is actually for? By making space for play and joy (!!!), these artists are taking back control and reshaping the narrative.

Artists

Chris Tegho
Christine Adams
Elisabeth Gunawan
Saksi Bisou
Frederick Kannemeyer
Futuristic Pagan
Hugo Schaepelynck
Ksenia Kazintseva
Theo Ritzinger
Vroomlab
Mostafa S. Ebrahimi
Yekta Jebelli
Meghna Saji
June Kuhn

Featured Artworks

Elisabeth Gunawan

‘Prayers for a Hungry Ghost
2023
Theatre AW7I7454

Elisabeth Gunawan

Glo Tesque
2024
Photography

Elisabeth Gunawan

Mandala
2022
Photography

Elisabeth Gunawan

Three Sisters
2024
Photography and Digital Art

Jackson Chifamba & Joel Chandauka

Resurrection
Year: 2024
360 Film

Ksenia Kazintseva

Fragmented
Oil, wax, acrylic, ink and thread on found table cloth
2024
1.5x2m.jpeg

Ksenia Kazintseva

Izba
Mixed media installation
2024
1x1x1m

Ksenia Kazintseva

What do you see in the mirror?
Acrylic on wood
2023
120x50cm

Chris Tegho

Childhood Play: Collecting a Memory
Technology, 3D modeling, AI

Christine Adams

The installation explores themes of memory, documentation and conservation. The origami boxes and concertina installation are a display of play but layered with the human instinct to memorialise and record history as a protest against time. Christine records as many memories that come to mind during the creation of the origami boxes, in the hopes that her accounts are not forgotten and woven into the history of human life. Both works (Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust and Our Story) piece together memories of communities, of a moment in time.

Elisabeth Gunawan

‘Prayers for a Hungry Ghost’
2023
Theatre
AW7I7454 2

Frederick Kannemeyer

This photography series explores the idea of objects or toys filling a void after being discarded, abandoned and replaced. The images highlight how the object’s past and the memories it carries often transcend its physical presence.
The concept of disposability in play is central to this work. It questions the fleeting attachment we form to things, especially toys, which are often symbols of joy, comfort, and nostalgia in childhood, yet are quickly outgrown or forgotten. Through poignant imagery, the project gives new life to these neglected objects, suggesting that while they may no longer serve their original purpose, they still possess a hidden value—the stories and memories they hold.
This series captures the intersection between materiality and memory, revealing how objects fill the emotional void left behind after their use ends.

Futuristic Pagan

Hugo Schaepelynck

how to make inanimate objects sing
2024
Performance 30min

Mostafa S. Ebrahimi & Meghna Saji

Ooh La La – Musical Orchestra
2024
3D Models, Arduino

Mostafa S. Ebrahimi

Ooh La La – Playground
2024
Medium: Virtual Reality

Yekta Jebelli

Sex Toys
2024
Digital Illustration
25×25

Theo Ritzinger

Herd Mentality
2023
47.2 x 30.3cm
Oil on Panel

Theo Ritzinger

Like Doves In The Wind
2023
34.7 x 44.3 x 6.6 cm
Acrylic, Balsa, Birch-ply, Oil on Panel

Theo Ritzinger

To Have, To Hold
2023
40x47cm
Oil on Panel

Portfolio

 

contact information

Email: [email protected]
Website: alyshanelson.com
Socials: @alyshanelson