Installation view of emajendat at Serpentine South. Installation photos by Hugo Glendinning, Lauren Halsey, courtesy of Serpentine, shared with permissionLauren Halseys emajendat Is an Energetic Celebration of South Central Los AngelesJanuary 14, 2025ArtSocial IssuesKate MothesInspired by the South Central neighborhood of Los Angeles, where Lauren Halseys family has lived for generations, vibrant sculptures and site-specific installations vividly reflect the artists community.At Serpentine South, a large-scale, maximalist exhibition titled emajendat highlights Halseys self-described obsession with material culture, her interest in remixing messages and symbols, and the need to confront issues that affect people of color, the queer community, and the working class.Installation viewHalsey gathers photographs, posters, flyers, commercial signs, and found objects that relate to her communities activism, highlighting a sense of civic urgency and free-flowing imagination, says David Kordansky Gallery, which co-represents the artist with Gagosian. Inspired by Afrofuturism and funk, as well as the signs and symbols that populate her local environments, Halsey creates a visionary form of culture that is at once radical and collaborative.Past, present, and future merge in the artists exploration of how idols, architecture, history, and communication fuel how we perceive identities and society. She draws on the imagery of ancient Egypt, the African diaspora, Black and queer icons, and the visionary design associated with funk to construct a kind of ever-evolving archive.In a monumental rooftop installation titled the eastside of south central los angeles hieroglyph prototype architecture (I), Halsey nods to palatial, ancient Egyptian architecture, placing the faces of notable Black figures on the columns capitals, such as activist Susan Burton and ethnomusicologist Dr. Rachel Eubanks.Halseys eclectic funkmound sculptures also encompass numerous found items, harboring miniature dioramas and objects that appear as though they are emerging from heaps of cotton candy. Throughout emajendat, seemingly endless collages, sculptures, reflections, prismatic color, patterns, messages, and textures welcome the viewer into an enthusiastically immersive experience.Installation view of The Roof Garden Commission: Lauren Halsey, the eastside of south central los angeles hieroglyph prototype architecture (I) (2022). Photo by Hyla Skopitz, Lauren Halsey, courtesy of the artist; David Kordansky Gallery and The Metropolitan Museum of ArtThe social element of Halseys work is amplified by a community center she founded in 2019 called Summaeverythang, located adjacent to her studio in South Central. The nonprofit initiative is dedicated to the empowerment and transcendence of Black and Brown folks socio-politically, economically, intellectually, and artistically.emajendat continues through February 23 in Kensington Gardens, London. Plan your visit on the gallerys website.Foreground: keepers of the krown (susan burton) (2024), glass fiber, reinforced concrete, and mixed media, 261 3/4 x 48 1/8 x 48 1/8 inches. Background: keepers of the krown (dr. rachel eubanks) (2024), glass fiber, reinforced concrete, and mixed media 261 3/4 x 48 1/8 x 48 1/8 inches. Photo by Andrea Avezz, Lauren Halsey, courtesy of the artist, David Kordansky Gallery, and GagosianInstallation viewInstallation detailInstallation viewInstallation detailInstallation collage detailNext article