Today I went to deinstall my work from St George’s Hall. The Home and Away exhibition has come to an end after four weeks on display. What I found particularly interesting about this exhibition was the amount of attention it received and the number of letters that were sent, especially compared to other exhibitions I took part in last year, such as Unstable in Port Sunlight and the exhibition at Rushton’s House in Manchester.
I’m glad I used the silk prints, and it was encouraging to see how many people responded positively to them. The letterbox also encouraged visitors to leave their thoughts. I collected letters three times during the exhibition, and I included the first batch in the second edition of the book so that as many voices as possible could be part of the work.
Today, when I opened the letterbox, I found five letters and a feedback form, which people would usually leave on Mariana’s table for reporting purposes. I’m probably the worst person when it comes to actively asking for feedback, and I can be quite stubborn. If I believe in something, I tend not to rely on feedback in order to pursue it. However, I do believe feedback is important for improving the quality of the work and for understanding how people connect with it.
When I read the feedback that had been placed inside the letterbox, it seemed to be responding to the Moon work, and I really appreciated it. It reminded me that all the hard work over the past few years, the slow progress, the time, energy, printing, and experimentation, has been worthwhile. It also made me think about all the people who have been part of this journey.
Another note I found simply said, “Best art ever” written in tired ink. I don’t know whether it came from someone I know or a complete stranger, but it made me wish I could have given free copies to everyone who wanted or needed one.
From this experience, I’ve learned something that maybe useful for the MA show: 1-The letterbox is important. 2- Having additional prints alongside the book is also important, as they allow for quick engagement and can act as an introduction to the book itself. 3- Feedback is appreciated and valuable, but it should never feel required or forced.
Karema 