The Matriarchive

Description

The Matriarchive: A Research Project Showcase

Exhibition by Rachel Maloney at Brighton CCA Gallery, 2–17 September 2021.

The Matriarchive was a showcase of work created during a practice-led research project undertaken by Rachel Maloney during her Research Fellowship with the Victoria and Albert Museum Research Institute (VARI), in partnership with the University of Brighton. Maloney’s fellowship centred on a project entitled Looking for the Matriarchive, which aimed to investigate and reframe the female narrative of domestic photographic materials from the Royal Photographic Society (RPS) collection held at the V&A Museum. The intention was to uncover and work with materials that represented the often-marginalised memories and experiences of women in the home.

The project was paused during the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic and later adapted for online delivery, ensuring that it could still include research participation and collaboration within the new restrictions. Navigating ways to keep the project moving forward during the national lockdowns led to an exploration of Maloney’s own family collections, in connection with those of the project’s research participants, during one-to-one online research workshops.

The outcomes of these participant workshops, along with research findings from Maloney’s time working with the V&A collections, were curated into a book—resembling a family photograph album—which was displayed in the gallery space for visitors to look through and engage with during the exhibition. The exhibition also included wall-based works related to the project and two moving image pieces showcasing 16mm film created by Maloney in 2020 during the project's pause. A series of talks and events accompanied the exhibition, and the space served as an open forum for visitors, who were invited to share and discuss their own family collections with the artist. Maloney invigilated the exhibition and engaged with visitors throughout its duration.

Exhibition film made by Matt Page and Rachel Maloney, 2021.