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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