Black Diamonds, 'Green' Gases and Wood That Burns Twice

Black Diamonds, ‘Green’ Gases and Wood that Warms Twice’ was the concluding exhibition of the research project, Justheat: A Social and Cultural History of Home Heating. The exhibition consolidates three years of artwork by artists who were part of the interdisciplinary research teams, Henna Åho (Finland), Denise Lobont (Romania), Ram Krishna Ranjan (Sweden), Becky Shaw (UK) and film-maker Miles Umney (UK). The exhibition was at Site Gallery Sheffield May 14-18, 2025 and was accompanied by a discussion to reflect on the emotional, cultural and political impact of home heating.

The exhibition built on seven previous exhibitions held by the individual artists in their home nations. The exhibition includes textile, photographic and foam carved works by Lobont, a photo montage of a textile work by Åho, sculptures and wall assemblages by Krishna Ranjan, and cardboard constructions, drawings, video and postcards by Shaw, all examining unique infrastructural, political, social and cultural dimensions of chosen communities in the different nations. The exhibition includes a film by Miles Umney that curates excerpts of the artists talking about their experiences of the project and the resulting works.

Shaw’s curatorial focus of the exhibition utilises the ‘black box’ cinematic space provided by Site to amplify the intense colours associated (and used by both oral history providers and the artists themselves) of home heating memories. This was facilitated by warm and pink lighting. The exhibition does not provide lengthy research text but seeks to find a balance between conveying research processes and final works with a free take-home booklet. Shaw used her collection of drawings of oral histories to form a two-sided divider (but not separator) of the video/ processual materials from final works. The show language also seeks to hold onto remnants of in-process, by using low key installation materials, informal display structures and plentiful seating.