In preparation for my exhibition at the start of August I decided to return to Krakow and visit Photomonth as part of my final research for the design and layout of the gallery space due to the fact that the previous years event had provided me with inspiration for the ‘Strategies and Surfaces’ Module.
There were two exhibition spaces provided me with useful input for my exhibition.
In the main museum building at Mocak there were a number of pieces that explored different aspects of Europe that I found particularly interesting and provided inspiration for development of my work.
This piece by Cerny was interesting way of representing the different countries in Europe as Airfix similar to the ones I used to make model planes and boats as a child.
The above piece using a series of flags on brooms to represent the countries impacted by the Arab Spring was full of symbolism and gave new meaning to something we see in everyday life. I particularly liked the fact that as events impacting those countries evolve the exhibit will change to reflect those facts.
These two pieces provided inspiration for covering a suitcase with the flags of the 27 member states that will remain part of the EU after the 29th March 2019.
The next piece of interest was a map of Europe that used thread to display the paths of migration across Europe an aspect of the EU Referendum that is often cited as being an important factor in the nations voting intentions that helped influence the outcome of the vote.
The final piece that I found interesting was in one of the smaller spaces art Mocak. The exhibition dealt with the subject of Switzerland’s desire to protect data of its citizens. The aspect that was interesting for me was the interactive aspect of the installation where standing on pressure pads under the carpet triggered specific actions on a computer in the corner of the room. I felt that using a similar approach would allow me to introduce an interactive element into the exhibition. This is something that I had discussed with Matt from Doomed Gallery in 2017 when exploring the use of layers in my work magnum-photos-matt-martin-curator.
