André Jebbinson, Staff Reporter

Whether it was artistic liberty or plain goriness, patrons attending an exhibition at the Institute of Jamaica on Sunday were left shocked and appalled when, to their horror, an artist slaughtered chickens as part of his display.

The artist, Christopher Irons, was participating in what was part of the Museums of History and Ethnography and the National Gallery of Jamaica exhibition under the theme, 'Materialising Slavery: Art, Artefact, Memory and Identity'.

Although the space was promptly cleaned, the images of the birds remain etched in the minds of those who saw it.

"I can't say I was surprised but I didn't know the full extent of it ... He did forewarn me that it would be disturbing," Wayne Modest, director of the Museums of History and Ethnography at the institute told The Gleaner yesterday.

He said those who viewed the exhibition were obviously surprised by how some of the chickens were killed. The artist bit, wrung and slashed the birds' necks.

"I am sure some thought it was disturbing. It was shocking. Some people opted not to see it," Modest said.

Complex relationships

An exploration of the complex relationships between slavery, identity and belonging in contemporary Jamaica, 'Materialising Slavery: Art, Artefact, Memory and Identity' examines the intersection of slavery, history, trauma, memory and representation. The exhibitions also coincided with the national and international events to mark the bicentenary of the abolition of the Transatlantic slave trade in Africans.

Irons could not be reached for comment.

andre.jebbinson@gleanerjm.com