Richard Wentworth's work, encircling the notion of objects and their use as part of our day-to-day experiences, has altered the traditional definition of sculpture. By transforming and manipulating industrial and/or found objects into works of art, Wentworth subverts their original function and extends our understanding of them by breaking the conventional system of classification. These sculptural arrangements and assisted ready-mades play with the juxtaposition of objects that bear no relation to each other, as well as with a range of materials taken out of their original contexts.
Supported by Outset, Racinated (originating from the French word racine, meaning root), a ten-part deep-blue enamel sign piece, is spread across Folkestone’s promenades, alleyways and avenues. The text on these signs reads like a fusion of poetry and botany, highlighting the provenance of some of Britain’s non-native trees. Alternatively, it can be understood to allude, via the tree metaphor, to the many migrants who disembarked in Folkestone over the centuries to make their homes here or elsewhere in the country.
Racinated has been co-produced with the Creative Folkestone Triennial and has been gifted to the city of Folkestone as a permanent outdoor sculpture.
