Over 30 artists from different generations and geographies explore the notions of memory, darkness and transformation.
The road to Manderley lay ahead. There was no moon. The sky above our heads was inky black. But the sky on the horizon was not dark at all. It was shot with crimson, like a splash of blood. And the ashes blew towards us with the salt wind from the sea.– Daphne du Maurier, Rebecca, 1938
The title of the exhibition comes from the opening line of Rebecca, the 1938 Gothic novel by Daphne du Maurier, whose screen adaptation by Alfred Hitchcock won an Academy Award in 1940. Rebecca tells the story of a fictional country house and estate, Manderley, owned by du Maurier’s male protagonist Maxim de Winter. The female narrator, who remains unnamed throughout, marries de Winter and becomes the mistress of the seemingly idyllic Manderley, but soon senses an atmosphere of doom as she suspects the house is haunted by Rebecca, de Winter’s first wife.
An integral part of each of us, fairytales adapt and change with each generation, helping to shape our understanding of the world both as children growing up and as adults questioning our choices and judgements. They reveal the underbelly of human consciousness, while leaving us with a curiosity of what lies ahead.
Bringing together the works of over 30 artists from different generations and geographies, the exhibition seeks to retell the story of Rebecca, taking the viewer on a path which explores notions of memory, darkness and transformation. Exhibiting artists include, Patrizio di Massimo, Chidinma Nnoli, Quentin James McCaffrey, Sophie Barber and Graham Little, hang alongside older artists, such as Sheila Hicks, Leonora Carrington, Maggi Hambling, Maeve Gilmore and Dorothea Tanning.
All the works in the show challenge conventional notions of fairytales as children’s stories and idealised narratives. While often adopting the visual language of magical landscapes, imaginary beings, and extraordinary human powers, the exhibition also explores darker and complex readings of this age-old genre. Themes such as deception, defiance, betrayal, the complexities of love, and the battle between good and evil wind their way throughout the narrative created by Malarkey. In the same way that a novel invites us to read between the lines, this exhibition unfolds, allowing us to discover carefully constructed dialogues between the artists. Malarkey has intentionally created a stage set environment to add atmosphere and heighten the other-worldly experience.
LAST NIGHT I DREAMT OF MANDERLEY: 24 January – 8 March 2025
Alison Jacques, 22 Cork Street, London W1S 3NG
Monday: By Appointment
Tuesday – Friday: 10:30am – 6pm
Saturday: 11am – 6pm
Further Information: Alison Jacques