Akeroyd Collection
Works
Theaster Gates, Gone are the Days of Shelter and Martyr, 2014
![An image of the now-demolished Roman Catholic Church of St. Laurence on Chicago's South Side. The image is taken from the inside of the building looking out](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.sanity.io%2Fimages%2Frp6jt0va%2Fproduction%2Fa97cb158115149ed1bff9b116d12cad97f00ca83-2400x1350.jpg%3Ffit%3Dmax%26auto%3Dformat&w=3840&q=75)
![An image of the now-demolished Roman Catholic Church of St. Laurence on Chicago's South Side. The image is of a large window](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.sanity.io%2Fimages%2Frp6jt0va%2Fproduction%2Ff802e1a8f45f1aaa77fe4edc5f7b382933dab2d3-2400x1350.jpg%3Ffit%3Dmax%26auto%3Dformat&w=3840&q=75)
![An image of a black person playing the cello](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.sanity.io%2Fimages%2Frp6jt0va%2Fproduction%2Ffa332d39e6dfad022d6806c59c8c26e40e10ccf1-2400x1350.jpg%3Ffit%3Dmax%26auto%3Dformat&w=3840&q=75)
![an image of black monks standing in a line in a demolished church. One is reading, one is holding a book and the other is holding something up in his hand but it is difficult to discern what it is](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.sanity.io%2Fimages%2Frp6jt0va%2Fproduction%2F9e938f6c5b9b0599958a3c7b14163644d294ac6b-2400x1627.jpg%3Ffit%3Dmax%26auto%3Dformat&w=3840&q=75)
![Images of the original performance and demolition of the church. One black monks stands among the ruins, the other is seated. The standing person is reading a loud from a book they hold in their hands](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.sanity.io%2Fimages%2Frp6jt0va%2Fproduction%2F244135926a9fc753c65aa18f46443eb9a19dba46-2400x1627.jpg%3Ffit%3Dmax%26auto%3Dformat&w=3840&q=75)
![An image of the now-demolished Roman Catholic Church of St. Laurence on Chicago's South Side. The image is taken from the inside of the building looking out](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.sanity.io%2Fimages%2Frp6jt0va%2Fproduction%2Fd0ae1421a918e4f08c2cd0ac498f8951cac63112-2400x1627.jpg%3Ffit%3Dmax%26auto%3Dformat&w=3840&q=75)
![Installation view, Theaster Gates, Gone are the Days of Shelter and Martyr from 56th Venice Viennale, All the World's Futures, 9 May - 22 November 2015, Venice, Italy](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.sanity.io%2Fimages%2Frp6jt0va%2Fproduction%2F1455373539edd5abaf5294c665a282615ef8922a-2400x1601.jpg%3Ffit%3Dmax%26auto%3Dformat&w=3840&q=75)
![Installation view, Theaster Gates, Gone are the Days of Shelter and Martyr from 56th Venice Viennale, All the World's Futures, 9 May - 22 November 2015, Venice, Italy. Here we can see the beam of light the projector throws onto the wall](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.sanity.io%2Fimages%2Frp6jt0va%2Fproduction%2F1dc441d4aa65ae6164c7fcf6f390d0cf496202c1-2400x1601.jpg%3Ffit%3Dmax%26auto%3Dformat&w=3840&q=75)
![Installation view, Theaster Gates, Gone are the Days of Shelter and Martyr from 56th Venice Viennale, All the World's Futures, 9 May - 22 November 2015, Venice, Italy. Here we can see the beam of light the projector throws onto the wall](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.sanity.io%2Fimages%2Frp6jt0va%2Fproduction%2F933f9cdf3fa4463e4c6ca33069d7900ba53cffd4-2400x1601.jpg%3Ffit%3Dmax%26auto%3Dformat&w=3840&q=75)
In Gone Are the Days of Shelter and Martyr, filmed at the now-demolished Roman Catholic Church of St. Laurence on Chicago's South Side, Gates and members of his experimental musical ensemble The Black Monks drop unhinged doors to the floor from above their heads repeatedly. The noise of the flat wooden surfaces slapping the hard floor resonates like thunder through the cavernous, dilapidated space. These violent, percussive sounds overlay a distant cello drone and gospel singer voices in a duet. The Black Monks use this abandoned church to testify to the enduring presence of spiritual life despite its abandonment and decline. This film serves as a potent symbol of the ongoing disinvestment in urban sacred spaces, particularly in Black neighbourhoods. By drawing attention to these issues, Gates highlights the neglect of culturally significant sites and the marginalization of Black and Brown communities.
Medium | Single-channel video, colour |
Duration | 6 minutes 31 seconds |
Edition | of 4 + 2 APs |