Three shows in three countries for DMU's Lala

Work by a De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) artist is certainly in demand – she has been featured in three major showcases in three countries.



Lala Meredith-Vula, of Reader in Art and Photography, has work exhibited in Germany, Greece and the UK concurrently and described 2017 as “an amazing year for her research”.

Lala’s work features photographs from her Blood Memory exhibition, which captured poignant moments from an incredible time in Albanian history when people brought an end to divisive blood feuds which had caused the deaths of entire communities.




Her images were chosen for Documenta 14, a huge contemporary art celebration which is held once every five years. This year for the first time it was held in two cities, Kassel and Athens, with thousands of visitors attending the immersive exhibitions.

Documenta is a magnet for collectors, Gallery-owners and Art enthusiasts from all over the world and represents an outstanding display of the achievements of this art world.

Back in the UK, Lala’s work was featured in Face2Face, an Arts Council-curated exhibition which combined work by the famed Young British Artists, including the Chapman Brothers, Gillian Wearing OBE and Lala – with Pre-Raphaelite masters such as William Blake. This was held in historic Torre Abbey in Torquay.

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Lala said: “It's been an amazing year for my research work - first I was selected for the landmark Documenta show that is usually held in Kassel but this run was also held in Athens. And then my work was selected for the Arts Council show at Torre Abbey Musuem. All the shows have been open over summer.

“So it's a bit like waiting for a bus – you wait for one show and three come along at once!!!"

The exhibitions have been covered in the arts press and the international media, such as The Guardian in the UK, and Lala being featured in the New York Times in America. She was also featured in a documentary about the artists at Documenta.

Lala, who was born in Sarajevo, is still inspired by the countryside of her youth, the rural culture representing authenticity and wildness.  

Beth Hughes, collection curator of Face2Face, said: “The Arts Council Collection is the UK's most widely seen collection of modern and contemporary art. As Collection Curator it is a joy to collaborate with a vast array of skilled Curators to look at the many strengths of the Collection and create inspiring exhibitions.”