Emii Alrai: Guardian

Exploring the cultural power and contested political histories of archeological ruins, Guardian takes the form of a colossal fragmented relic inspired by the mythological icons of ancient civilisations.

The formidable and abstracted sculpture, upheld by a museological armature of raw metal and finished in a vivid patina of teal and brown, draws on Alrai’s background as a museum registrar and her interest in the lives of objects – both as vessels for nostalgia and romanticised visions of the past, as well as the vexed questions of empire, authenticity, memory and cultural preservation that surround archeological remains.