Bristol Photo Festival: Akosua Viktoria Adu-Sanyah – The House is a Body
Akosua Viktoria Adu-Sanyah’s exhibition at Bristol’s Georgian House Museum, is the latest to feature work created in relation to the building’s colonial history.
Built in the late 18th century, Georgian House is best known as the home of John Pinney (1740 – 1818), a wealthy sugar merchant and slave holder; yet was also home to Pero Jones (1753-1793) and Fanny Coker (1767-1820), both of whom were born into slavery and brought to Bristol by the Pinney family. Adu-Sanyah’s commission was co-curated by Alejandro Acin of Bristol Photo Festival.
About Akosua Viktoria Adu-Sanyah
Akosua Viktoria Adu-Sanyah is a German-Ghanaian artist and photographer based in Zurich, Switzerland. Her work centres upon the colour darkroom, where she uses the materials of photography, paper, light and time, to investigate familial bonds, personal loss, identity and structures of institutional power. The work created emphasises the process of its making; particularly the journey from initial ideas and research research to the creation of a photographic object that is imbued with feeling and emotion.
She has held exhibitions across Europe, including: Centre Photographie Geneve (CH), Photoforum Pasquart (CH), Saarland Museum (DE) & Foam Museum (NL). Her work is held in the permanent collections of both the city and canton of Zurich, the Swiss Photography Foundation (Fotostiftung Schweiz), Fotomuseum Winterthur and the city of Saarbrucken. In 2024, she was the recipient of the Swiss Art Award. She is the author of one monograph, Rough Tide (edition fink, 2024).
With thanks
This exhibition was produced with funding from Arts Council England, Pro Helvetia, in partnership with Shadow Labs and Bristol Photo Festival, and with the support of Spike Island – many thanks to them all.
Access information
Though we have made all possible efforts to ensure accessibility at the Georgian House Museum, its status as a preserved historic building has made this very difficult. There is no level access at the Georgian House. There are steps from the street to the front door, and, once inside, each floor of the house can only be reached via a staircase; the garden, likewise, is only accessible via stairs. Staircases can be narrow and/or steep, depending on which part of the house you are trying to access.
The exhibition will not feature any audio-visual installations or flashing lights. Please take care when visiting the Georgian House, and ask the staff on duty if you have any concerns or need support.