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Dog Whistle
Using archive images, photo montage and video, Dog Whistle questions the ways that desirability, worthiness, and respectability are represented. These concepts continue to elevate certain groups, particularly wealthy men, while denigrating others, including those from the global majority, the white working class, LGBTQ+ individuals, unmarried women, people living in poverty, and those with disabilities.
Played in conjunction, both films feature the dog whistle, an object invented by Francis Galton. Galton travelled to Cairo, Egypt in 1845 before forming many of his key ideas. Retracing parts of his journey and standing before the enduring grandeur of the Pyramids, the artist recalls feeling joy, pride and a tenuous yet real connection to a remarkable legacy.
The work has come from the artist’s realisation that at its core, eugenics is driven by fear, insecurity, and a desperate desire to be “somebody.” These deeply rooted personal anxieties profoundly shaped, and continue to impact the social, economic, and cultural structures of our society, with devastating consequences.
This film asks us to consider can anyone truly be free within the confines of such a constructed order?
About the artist
Veronica McKenzie is a filmmaker, activist, and curator with a keen understanding of how storytelling shapes culture. Her creative work includes Under Your Nose (2017), exploring the Black LGBTQ+ community in the UK, and award-winning Nine Nights (2018) which highlights Caribbean mourning tradition. Her leadership on the Haringey Vanguard project (2018-2021) established a new archive at Bruce Castle Museum, preserving the history of Black LGBTQ+ activism.