Matt Stokes’ New Exhibition at Workplace

Collection and former residency artist Matt Stokes’ latest exhibition is now on at Workplace, London. His fourth solo show at the gallery consists of two recent films, This Liberty and Felons, and was originally commissioned by Museums Northumberland for Hexham Old Gaol, England’s oldest purpose-built prison, and will be the first time that they have been shown outside of this context.

At a time where we have all spent extended periods indoors and locked down due to a global pandemic, Matt Stokes explores incarceration as a contemporary and historical experience.

Research is often present in Stokes’ artistic practice, and for these two works, Stokes’ research was extensive and led to him deploying music and spoken word to convey the complex psychological and emotional states associated with imprisonment both in the literal and metaphorical sense.

Matt Stokes: This Liberty is on at Workplace until 28 May 2021, find out all visiting information here.