Format Festival 2023 (part 1): Critical Analysis of Exhibitions





FORMAT - Critical Analysis of Exhibitions



Figure 1). Exhibition of Alan Jones. (Click to enhance image/play video)



Figure 2). Exhibition of Oliver Frank Chanarin. (Click to play video)

The Format Festival 2023 was of immense success. From the sheer volume of people present during the opening night to the multitude of inspiring work across a variety of exhibitions, the interactions and learning opportunities seemed endless. In relevance to my current project, extra attention was paid to the diverse range of exhibition methods present; Innovative and contemporary exhibition methods, using asymmetric composition and less common mounting techniques (see Fig. 1) were met with more traditional and linear ways of exhibiting work (see Fig. 2). 




Figure 3). Ruby Nixon (left) and Ryan L. Moule (right)



Figure 4). Exhibition of Louisa Beer. (Click to enhance image/play video)

Furthermore, Format 2023 demonstrated various scales of photographic work (see Fig. 3) and modern strategies in place to immerse the viewer into an image (see Fig 5a and 5b), the latter example which I found particularly fascinating as it evoked a deeply emotional response relevant to the venue of which the exhibition inhabited. Gathering Light, an exceptionally immersive installment of 40 consecutive skyscape photographs by Louisa Beer (see Fig. 4), acts as a self-reflective vessel; thoughts of the philosophies of life and death arose via the feelings of grief conveyed by the continuous images, a sensation boosted by the religious environment of which the project inhabits. 



Figure 5). Exhibition of Chaira Zandonà (Click to enhance image)

Chiara Zandonà was one of the participants in Hidden World, showcasing a sole photograph mounted directly onto the wall of the venue (see Fig 7a and 7 b). Given the nature of Chaira Zandonà’s concept (an uncertain, sinister, and seriously eerie depiction representing digital cultures’ evolution) this flattened matte image amplified the transformative aspect of her concept as the image and the wall are inseparable: if either the wall or the image is to be altered, as will the other. In addition, the tactile quality of allowing the wall texture to come through reminds me of my mortality; the ability to physically feel the image is reflective of my human nature. This is complimented by the less reflective surface of her matte photograph; adding physical (and therefore metaphorical) depth to the concept as well as the image. 

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