Broken Grey Wires: Who Wants Flowers When They Are Dead? at the Williamson Art Gallery

The Williamson Art Gallery and Museum in Birkenhead has recently established itself as the go-to gallery on the Wirral for consistently high quality temporary exhibitions. This is proved once more with Who Wants Flowers When They Are Dead?, an exhibition by Broken Grey Wires about grief, healing and the myriad of ways that we experience it. The exhibition is part of the Independents Biennial. 

Broken Grey Wires is a collective of creatives who facilitate inclusive cultural projects. With a special focus on accessibility, they encourage neurodivergent artists, as well as those who have experienced mental health challenges, to share their perspective, bring their creativity to a wider audience and keep making the work they are passionate about. 

Who Wants Flowers When They Are Dead? gathers the work of 17 artists who reflect on experiences of loss which are transfigured into works of art. You will find paintings, photographic paper sculptures, a tired machine and a glossy tower of toast.

It’s important to mention that one of the key features of the show is the toolkit section at the entrance. This is where you’ll find ideas for how to engage with the work more deeply and how to keep yourself grounded if difficult moments arise. A beautifully compact catalogue is available to be taken around the show – we recommend sitting on one of the beautiful benches, designed and made by Paddy Gould and Roxy Topia, and perusing the catalogue after you’ve seen the work on display. The thoughtful catalogue texts are not prescriptive but provide useful context for each piece.

Gallery 1 is filled with a constant hum emerging from Zayd Menk’s Nomad (2016), a perpetual machine with a light, a fan, multiple screens and a chair that, although it keeps going, feels like it really needs a rest. A fitting metaphor for the times we live in. 

Next to it, Chris Jones’ paper woodland with intricately cut out waterfalls and tiny cities transports you to a different world, one that you can spend a lot of time with as you move and bend around the tree sculptures. Get on your knees, if you can, to see the little projections on the levels nearest to the ground.

Gallery 2 is where you’ll find embroidered textiles filled with rage from Dolly Sen, Ana Mendieta’s videos of her iconic Silueta works where she marks out the female silhouette in different ways in the landscape, and Sophie New’s works which recall her experiences of giving birth during the pandemic. Don’t miss Mercedes Lucy’s delicate Blue Bird Bath and Harri Harrison’s cyanotypes that are as moving as they are beautiful. Who Wants Flowers When They Are Dead? is a show that dives into the artists’ vulnerability but also asks for the same from the viewer. Go and visit it with an open heart.