In The Window Placement - Covid-safe Exhibitions
I usually like to go to exhibitions regularly but due to the various lockdowns over the past year it has been difficult to do so. As my placement revolves around exhibiting and curating, I have been particularly keen to check out other ways of exhibiting that are Covid-safe and within government regulations. Over the past week I have visited both a virtual exhibition and an outdoor exhibition and enjoyed both experiences although they were vastly different to the "norm".
First, I visited the Three Counties Cubes at Trentham Gardens during the daily allotted exercise allowed within the current restrictions. The cubes are situated outdoors in the amphitheatre at the end of the path circling the lake, viewers are encouraged to maintain social distancing at all times. The work in the cubes is backlit so it is more visible but also so the cubes create a glow, I visited during the day time but imagine this looks great at night as well as allowing viewers to see the work at any time, especially in the darker winter months. The work on each cube is varied from numerous artists located within the three counties; there are paintings, photography, life drawing sketches, mixed-media collages and more. The piece that touched me the most was Little Grandad, an incredible partial sketch in biro on a used envelope of the fourteen year old artist's grandad, who they were missing greatly during lockdown. The cubes were a great way to view artwork outdoors; they felt like the inversion of the white cube of gallery spaces instead of entering the cube, the viewer walks around it. The lighting means they are viewable any time which I thought added to the accessibility of the work. The range of work made for an interesting and varied exhibition with something to appeal to everybody. I really enjoyed being able to go out and see artwork at this time.
The second exhibition I viewed virtually, Wander, is a photography exhibition by my friend Lindsey Davis generated on ArtSpaces' Kunstmatrix. The link opens a virtual room in a gallery which you can roam around using buttons on the screen to 'walk' in any direction or you can view the works individually and up close in an online gallery. It was fun to try out and the work was definitely elevated by being virtually framed and hung on walls but obviously didn't compare to previous physical exhibitions of her work. I also found I spent much less time looking at each image on screen as opposed to in person. Although not the ideal, it was great to see her work in this way especially as there is currently no other alternative.
I look forward to seeing more Covid-safe exhibitions and other forms of exhibiting at this time but cannot wait to for restrictions to change so that I can attend exhibitions indoors and in real time!
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