Art lovers were taken on an immersive experience of Jamaican culture, Sunday last, at the launch of the Kingston Biennial 2024: Green x Gold exhibition at the National Gallery of Jamaica in downtown Kingston.

Taking inspiration from the Jamaican flag, the exhibition spotlights the land, environment and ecology of the country. It also plays on the depiction of Jamaica and the Caribbean as a “paradise”, while contrasting it with the environmental realities that the region faces.

Guest curator for the exhibit Ashley James, associate curator for contemporary art at the Solomon R Guggenheim Museum in New York, was intentional in the pieces chosen for the exhibit, seeking to offer different viewpoints to those pressing issues.

“Embedded within the flag is this symbol of the green of nature and the gold of sunshine. So what does that mean for that to exist within the DNA of the country? It is clearly an important topic and the show is looking at the various ways that landscape is a space of ideology and ideals,” James suggested. “It offers so many views into modern questions about what it means to be in the world.”

Twenty-eight artists contributed pieces towards the exhibit which will be shown at the gallery until June 2025. This year’s Kingston Biennial coincides with the 50th anniversary of the National Gallery, a milestone that Chief Curator O’Neil Lawrence felt was honoured with the array of works on display.

“We have used our 50th anniversary to reflect on not only what we’ve done as a gallery, but also to reflect on how we are serving our public. And I think that an exhibition like this, that takes us into a meditation of the things that we sometimes take for granted, is really fortuitous. I am really glad we were able to do it. I’m glad that Ashley was able to come up with this concept because it is timely,” Lawrence said. “It is the best thing for us right now because the world is changing and we have to look at the position that we are in that world. Looking at our history, our culture and our environment is something that I think is really essential.”

Against that backdrop, Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport Olivia Grange opened the exhibit, emphasising the importance of local artists preserving the culture.

“Art is not just a luxury for society. It is important for everyone. It is vital for learning critical skills, enhancing personal development, heightening self- awareness, raising discussions, increasing civic pride and national self-respect. Great artists see the world from a unique perspective and they express it often in surprising ways,” Grange said. “Ways that cause the rest of us to rethink our beliefs, to take action against an injustice or to see beauty which we never did before.”

Additionally, Grange outlined the ministry’s commitment to improving the lives of creatives, highlighting the recent launch of the Jamaica Entertainers and Creatives Insurance Plan, providing life insurance to those listed on the National Registry of Entertainment and Creative Industries Practitioners (E-Registry) through the Guardian Life Insurance Group. With plans for the group health insurance scheme to come online next year, Grange said that this necessary assistance will be invaluable to all creatives.

“We have to stop passing the hat for contributions to assist our creatives. We cannot continue to rely on the kindness of a minister or funds remaining in the budget. I urge you to view the plan as an injection into the art community to further your development,” Grange said.

The exhibition not only represents the complicated search for answers to the questions posed, but also a homecoming of sorts for James, who is of Jamaican heritage through her parents, Donovan and Sharon. James is optimistic that the exhibition can, and indeed will, spark necessary discussions around those difficult questions.

“There is that historical reflection of the images and the ideas that have been placed onto Jamaica by imperialist desires. Then as a kind of [contrast] to that, the artists who are saying, ‘This is how we see land, this is what we do with wood, this is a different vision of ecological manipulation.’ There are always goals to be fought for, but thinking alongside the artists in the show, I think we can, if not have answers, at least have some provocations towards them.”

The exhibit resonated with entrepreneur Najuma Taylor, who was filled with pride at the pieces paying homage to Jamaican culture.

“It’s colourful, vibrant, it’s more afro-centric and deep-rooted in Jamaican culture and it is definitely bringing me to my roots and making me feel like a proud black girl,” Taylor said.