‘The Keep Turning Left Route’ is Sarah Strang’s first solo exhibition, and features a series of works created in collaboration with Brazilian sign-holder, Denis Augusto Pereira. Their meeting in 2005 led to a partnership that has culminated in ‘About Jean’s Death’, a performance and installation commenting on the issues surrounding the death of Jean Charles de Menezes.

Sarah describes her work as a social collaboration, representing personal experiences of human rights legislation in London. The three artworks displayed in this exhibition at St Giles-in-the Fields, raise issues about civil liberties, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and social hierarchies. Peter Ackroyd has written in The Biography of London that; ‘the place of transients in the life of St Giles has never faded.’

‘About Jean’s Death’ includes a video work of Denis’ written comments on the death of Jean Charles de Menezes in Portuguese and English. The work is an attempt to create a human response beyond the issues of terrorism, policing or the Government. Poignantly, as he writes Denis wears gloves discarded at Edgware Road by a London Underground rescue worker after the 7th July bombings.

‘Divided Cross’ is the first video work in the series and records Sarah meeting Denis, standing with his sign outside St Giles-in-the-Fields Church. Whilst Denis holds his sign, Sarah holds a white wooden cross, a comment on the arcane Camden Council legislation stipulating that any advertising sign being held cannot touch the ground. Conversely, in Westminster signs can be rested on the ground making the job of bearing a sign less painful. New legislation in the forthcoming London Local Authorities Bill includes provisions to allow councils to ban sign holders from specified areas.

‘Protest by Denis Augusto’ reveals a personal account of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and addresses issues of social injustice. The work confronts the exploitation that deprives labour of any dignity and highlights the inequities inherent in capitalism. It is a personal indictment on Article 23 of The Universal Declaration of Human rights featuring Denis’ handwritten amendments of the text.

Living and working in London, Sarah graduated from Central St. Martin’s College of Art and Design in 2005. Sarah Strang is currently a resident artist on the Florence Trust Annual Programme where she is exhibiting from 8th July to 16th July 2006

St Giles-in-the-Fields Church, 60 St Giles High Street, London, WC2H 8LG 2 minutes from Tottenham Court Road tube station (opposite Denmark Street) 12 May - 2 June 2006 Opening Hours 9am - 4pm Daily