Liverpool Central Library

Our full exhibition programme, including our public artworks, is now closed. Visitors can still enjoy art in person at FACT and Bluecoat until August & September.

Interested in archives and different forms of research, Yael Davids presented her work Wingspan of the captive (2021). The sculptures and accompanying drawings take inspiration from the 19th century, The Birds of America (1827) by John James Audubon, which contains a series of paintings and illustrations archiving North American birds. Davids considers the anatomy, behaviour and movements of these birds – exploring what it means to migrate, to study and be studied.This research compelled Davids to reflect on modes and categories of togetherness. Such kinships transcend fixed, physical geographies, establishing points of connection across generations and diverse cultural backgrounds. Davids engaged with a local kinship group, introducing them to the Feldenkrais Method in weekly sessions; Slow sequential patterns of movement that cultivate awareness – excavating bodily knowledge – an archaeological performance and practice of care directed towards oneself. These sessions embodied the birds trapped in the pages of The Birds of America.

The Liverpool Biennial exhibition at Liverpool Central Library closed on 27 June.