A Pledge is a work that explores the interconnected states of generational trauma, mental and physical health and communal agency. The film begins with the story of a driver and his strained relationship with his father. Depicted through a third-person monologue (voiced by Larry’s son, Sinai Lee Achiampong-Rose), the segment addresses issues of abandonment, inherited trauma and seclusion, whilst holding the rejuvenated promise of connection through the act of driving which the motorist and his father share.
The use of repurposed older technologies, in particular a Game Boy Camera (hacked to enable HDMI recording), has captured sections of moving images that presents the story like a driving-based videogame. Shot in 4K resolution at 60 frames per second, the second part of the film depicts a father and son engaging in the practice of Gōjū-Ryū Karate. ‘Gōjū-Ryū’ (剛柔流) is a Japanese term meaning ‘hard-soft style’ used in traditional Okinawan karate to describe the combination of hard and soft techniques.
A Pledge was commissioned by Stanley Picker Gallery and forms part of Achiampong’s ongoing project titled GH0ST_DATA_, a new series of films by the artist delving into the relationship between depression, black masculinity, and digital anxiety.
