Delaine Le Bas: “For my Brother Nino, in Search of Eldorado”

A bond of profound connection and heartfelt affection—this beautifully defines the relationship between these two artists.

Turner Prize 2024 nominee Delaine Le Bas graced the opening of Nihad Nino Pušija: In Search of Eldorado – Roma and Sinti in the Struggle for Representation with a performance dedicated to her “brother, Nino”.

In her performance, Delaine Le Bas engaged with the newly published monograph by Nihad Nino Pušija, reflecting on the photographer’s emotional connection and closeness to the people portrayed in his publication, and the broader context they navigate.

 

Delaine Le BAs

For my Brother Nino, in Search of Eldorado……

“07112024

0600

Walking on air through copper to get to gold

My body merges with shadows of those who could tell

They do but to each other

Stories that travel underground

Tala o puv o zeisko tan

Through the air on the wind

Listen

Shun

Listen

Shun

You may hear what they have to tell

The shadows turn to gold on my body

As travelling with me she is gold on red

From a continent so far away

Gold on silver

From Glastonbury

Ancient both

Protectress

Yes

On my finger

In my ears

St George is there

To protect me always

Since who knows when

We carry this

Not only on skin

Through ears

Close to the bone

But in our minds

For so long we have forgotten when it began……..

0842

Akai

Saster Chiricklo

Shun

08112024

1044

I saw then in piles

Golden

So many I could not count

While a pink feather

Rested among them

The pink I knew I would see again……….

1612

They look down historical yet not

Cold

Bronze

Not gold

Witnessing

A revolution

In green red and blue

Hands cupped

Love in a circle halved

Gold in their hands

Gold capturing air to exist

This gold can not frame them

They have burst forth

On the street

With smiles and joy

Gold in their hearts

Not everything can be seen

Measured

In the ways that seem appropriate

But only in this time now

Our joy will not be stolen

And always

Stop Racism

Stop Racism

The clock ticks

While faces Blue

While faces green

Stare out across time

Talay o puv o zeisko tan

Open unity

Needed

Always

Always

The silent scream

Always?

Always?

We make our own place

In ways many will never understand

Red on orange

Not moving

Static

But this is only one version of events

Always?

ROMA

Always

With pink eyes

With pink lips

I will

Seem

Different

Because are we all not?

A round peg not fitting in the square hole?

What makes sense?

While moving under “Una manera de hacker Europa”

Talay o puv o zeisko tan

In pink they travel across time

Eyes on their back

Always watching…….

While in red & white

The shuttered metal speaks a thousand other words……….

While bread and new shoes tell us another story

Always

Always

A house with no windows

Like a face with no eyes

& when you are looking are you seeing

& are not the eyes the window to the soul?

While roses

Printed

Frame us

Always?

Always?

But in real time or in other time fantasies………

We share

We cut

We live

We eat

We are Beings

& in be-ing we are

Who we are

I am here

I am me

I am framed

This time by myself

Always

In my hands

Surrounded by

Growing

They know

They have knowledge

They speak

Talay o puv o zeisko tan

Always……..

They listen

Intently

They know much

10

06

A yellow bird

Chiricklo

But it does not sing……

She carries the future

Her gaze

Out

King of hearts

7 of hearts

They did not know their future

But they lived

Their hearts together

Always

Always

In black & white

They are together

Red line

You see them

They are there

On green

The leaves float

Some are golden……

We frame each other

Holding carefully

Flowers

Roses again of a different kind…..

Patterned

Small

Held

Supported

In ways we can not know

In black and white

Four

Wise

Like Sybil’s from another time…..

While shadows move

With time

With light

Always

Always

In blue

In black

An extension of where we began

The roots reach down

Talay o puv o zeisko tan

Always

Always

& in amongst them

In these forests of grief

We have grown like shrubs of gold”

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Delaine Le Bas is represented by Yamamoto Keiko Rochaix, London

https://yamamotokeiko.com/artists/delaine-le-bas

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