One Day the Sadness Will End was commissioned by HOME, Manchester as part of the exhibition The Return of Memory, October 21st 2017 - January 7th 2018. Curated by Anya Harrison, Sarah Perks and Olya Sova.
Unofficial histories, suppressed memories and strategies of resistance all converged in this major group exhibition, which sought to redress the legacy of the Russian Revolution on its centenary by exploring how contemporary artists are responding to the state of the ‘New East’ today. Each day in the gallery Declan Clarke and Sarah Perks projected the name of a person, group, or place they believe was betrayed by revolution. Their research of 66 persons or events built
a picture of specifc historical moments attempting to break the waves of history, with ultimately differing levels of success. These failures were ofen the fault of the revolutionary process as much as of reactionary counter momentum.
Starting from Manchester and branching outwards from the present day to historical figures and beyond, the collection of people and instances explores our understanding of revolution, our expectations of success and failure, and the precariousness of systems that claim to rule and control. With great change comes the act of change itself: revolutions invariably turn on themselves.
