The exhibition features eighteen large-scale portraits of people who are connected by their individual experiences of loss suffered through the Troubles. It opens to the public on Saturday 23 June.
Silent Testimony is being brought to Derry~Londonderry through a partnership between the Nerve Centre, National Museums NI and WAVE Trauma Centre. Since Silent Testimony was shown at the Ulster Museum in 2015, it has toured to the Centre Culturel Irlandais Paris in 2016 and Dublin Castle in 2017.
County Down based Colin Davidson said:
'Silent Testimony acknowledges the immeasurable price paid by those who suffered loss through the Troubles. This price continues to be paid daily and represents the legacy not only of our conflict but of all conflict.'
Kim Mawhinney, Head of Art, National Museums NI, who collaborated with Colin Davidson on the exhibition, said: 'Silent Testimony had a phenomenal response from visitors when it was first shown at the Ulster Museum. It is an incredibly poignant and intimate exhibition. This exhibition is part of an ongoing programme with the Nerve Centre exploring our recent history, not only the politics and conflict but the impact of both on everyday life, people and communities.
'We hope that the exhibition will provide a platform for discussion and dialogue that makes a positive contribution to creatively dealing with the legacy of our past.'
Sandra Peake, Chief Executive Officer, WAVE Trauma Centre said: 'Silent Testimony is a truly poignant exhibition which reflects the many thousands of people bereaved and injured who live silently within our community.
'We hope that this exhibition will have resonance with many across the city. It is a powerful account of the impact of the Troubles and serves as a stark reminder of why we should never let such loss happen again.'
The exhibition will be supported by a public programme that will include a talk by Colin Davidson at the Nerve Centre on Thursday 13 September, gallery tours and screenings of Hear My Voice, the cinematic companion piece to Silent Testimony.
Hear My Voice, a short film from Brendan J Byrne (Bobby Sands: 66 Days, Maze) combines Davidson’s portraits with the spoken words of victims and survivors. Dates for the screenings in Nerve Centre will be announced soon.
Silent Testimony is part of an exciting programme of exhibitions recently announced by the Nerve Centre, in partnership with National Museums NI, the Tower Museum and the Gallery of Photography, Dublin.
This showing of Silent Testimony at the Nerve Visual Gallery is supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund and the European Union’s PEACE IV Programme, managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB).
The exhibition will run until 16 September 2018. Admission is free. For more information visit www.nervecentre.org.