The Missing Thread
BOLD Agency, Somerset House, Shanti Bell, 2023
Signalling Free is an outdoor instillation that served as a beacon to the exhibition The Missing Thread at Somerset House. The exhibition charts the shifting landscape of Black British culture and the unique contribution it has made to Britain’s rich design history. Curated by the Black Orientated Legacy Development Agency (BOLD) which comprises of, Harris Elliott, Andrew Ibi and Jason Jules.
Both a signpost and a sculpture, Signalling Free observes and deconstructs the cultural identity of ‘flags' with consideration to their significance as an expression of belonging, political identity and independence. Flags feature prominently within the lives of Black Britons as a result of migration and the development of diasporic identities - their presence is continuous throughout The Missing Thread. As an entrance and exit point, Signalling Free plays with the historic symbolism and cultural value of colour and form associated with Black freedom movements - It is an intergenerational conversation, a continuation of political flag-bearing connecting past with future, whilst signposting the cultural ownership of a major event.
![]()
Signalling Free is an outdoor instillation that served as a beacon to the exhibition The Missing Thread at Somerset House. The exhibition charts the shifting landscape of Black British culture and the unique contribution it has made to Britain’s rich design history. Curated by the Black Orientated Legacy Development Agency (BOLD) which comprises of, Harris Elliott, Andrew Ibi and Jason Jules.
Both a signpost and a sculpture, Signalling Free observes and deconstructs the cultural identity of ‘flags' with consideration to their significance as an expression of belonging, political identity and independence. Flags feature prominently within the lives of Black Britons as a result of migration and the development of diasporic identities - their presence is continuous throughout The Missing Thread. As an entrance and exit point, Signalling Free plays with the historic symbolism and cultural value of colour and form associated with Black freedom movements - It is an intergenerational conversation, a continuation of political flag-bearing connecting past with future, whilst signposting the cultural ownership of a major event.
