Unfinished
Unfinished (2021) was an interactive exhibition co-curated by Anna May and Ellie Montgomery. It explored how the meaning of everyday spaces and objects can change when we have experienced a loss.
Through the creation a ‘room’ in the middle of an old church (Left Bank, Leeds), interspersed with poetry and artwork, we invited audiences to consider the significance and sacredness of what may seem an insignificant environment. The exhibit was accompanied by a reflective space where people could write or draw in response to what they had seen, or listen to the podcast we recorded to capture the conversations the curatorial process had brought up in relation to our own experiences of grief.
Through the creation a ‘room’ in the middle of an old church (Left Bank, Leeds), interspersed with poetry and artwork, we invited audiences to consider the significance and sacredness of what may seem an insignificant environment. The exhibit was accompanied by a reflective space where people could write or draw in response to what they had seen, or listen to the podcast we recorded to capture the conversations the curatorial process had brought up in relation to our own experiences of grief.
Reflective Piece by co-curator, Ellie Montgomery:
Over a year ago, I lost my partner Dave – he was 26 and I was 23. Since then, it’s been a strange journey of rediscovering who I am, realising what’s important to me as well as finding ways of processing my grief. Creativity has always been a way in which I’ve expressed myself but, following such a traumatic loss, writing and reading have become an important method in helping me to channel and understand my emotions.
Subsequently, when Anna suggested the possibility of putting together an exhibition which showcased some of our creative responses to grief, I was very keen to get involved. In our initial meetings, we reflected about what we wanted the space to represent: what did we want to say about the people we have loved and lost? What themes have come up for both of us during our experiences of death? And how do we want to present our work in a way which opens up meaningful conversations about grief?
Over the following weeks, it seemed that the discussions we were having kept circling back to the feelings of incompleteness which are often left in the wake of a loss. Our exhibition title ‘Unfinished’ therefore emerged. In this we hoped to communicate that, whilst the person we love may no longer be physically with us, creativity enables our relationships with them to endure.
We also discussed the overwhelming presence of loss which can be forged in absence of our loved ones and wanted to create a visual expression of this feeling. The exhibition consequently took form as a living room containing everyday objects in which a person appeared to be missing. By writing, drawing and stitching onto these everyday items, we wanted to put an emphasis on how this absence can result in changing attitudes towards ourselves, our home, objects, clothes and possessions. A space of sanctuary could transition to a place of pain whilst an object which, before was simply one of practicality, is an unrelenting reminder of the person no longer able to use it. Whilst the belongings remain, our loved one is gone; this discordance again related to our intention to reflect on feelings relating to a lack of resolution or closure.
Alongside the main exhibition itself, we also had three stations which gave people the chance to draw, write and listen. At the drawing and writing stations, we encouraged participants to leave their own responses. We hoped for people to not only explore how creativity could positively impact their understanding of grief, but how comfort can be found in community and the sharing of experiences.
The listening station featured a podcast style interview where Anna and I asked each other a few questions about our personal experiences of loss. Initially, this felt like quite a daunting task but, following the recording, I felt positive about the conversations we had shared. Losing someone so close to me has really made me recognise that, by nature, I am quite a private person and I’ve found it uncomfortable to speak openly about my experiences of loss in a setting which wasn’t with a counsellor. Throughout the exhibition, I have actually uttered the words ‘my partner died’ more often than ever before. This has been really healing for me. Allowing myself to feel more vulnerable around my peers filled me with a new sense of confidence and I hoped that it would encourage those who listened to perhaps do the same.
Over a year ago, I lost my partner Dave – he was 26 and I was 23. Since then, it’s been a strange journey of rediscovering who I am, realising what’s important to me as well as finding ways of processing my grief. Creativity has always been a way in which I’ve expressed myself but, following such a traumatic loss, writing and reading have become an important method in helping me to channel and understand my emotions.
Subsequently, when Anna suggested the possibility of putting together an exhibition which showcased some of our creative responses to grief, I was very keen to get involved. In our initial meetings, we reflected about what we wanted the space to represent: what did we want to say about the people we have loved and lost? What themes have come up for both of us during our experiences of death? And how do we want to present our work in a way which opens up meaningful conversations about grief?
Over the following weeks, it seemed that the discussions we were having kept circling back to the feelings of incompleteness which are often left in the wake of a loss. Our exhibition title ‘Unfinished’ therefore emerged. In this we hoped to communicate that, whilst the person we love may no longer be physically with us, creativity enables our relationships with them to endure.
We also discussed the overwhelming presence of loss which can be forged in absence of our loved ones and wanted to create a visual expression of this feeling. The exhibition consequently took form as a living room containing everyday objects in which a person appeared to be missing. By writing, drawing and stitching onto these everyday items, we wanted to put an emphasis on how this absence can result in changing attitudes towards ourselves, our home, objects, clothes and possessions. A space of sanctuary could transition to a place of pain whilst an object which, before was simply one of practicality, is an unrelenting reminder of the person no longer able to use it. Whilst the belongings remain, our loved one is gone; this discordance again related to our intention to reflect on feelings relating to a lack of resolution or closure.
Alongside the main exhibition itself, we also had three stations which gave people the chance to draw, write and listen. At the drawing and writing stations, we encouraged participants to leave their own responses. We hoped for people to not only explore how creativity could positively impact their understanding of grief, but how comfort can be found in community and the sharing of experiences.
The listening station featured a podcast style interview where Anna and I asked each other a few questions about our personal experiences of loss. Initially, this felt like quite a daunting task but, following the recording, I felt positive about the conversations we had shared. Losing someone so close to me has really made me recognise that, by nature, I am quite a private person and I’ve found it uncomfortable to speak openly about my experiences of loss in a setting which wasn’t with a counsellor. Throughout the exhibition, I have actually uttered the words ‘my partner died’ more often than ever before. This has been really healing for me. Allowing myself to feel more vulnerable around my peers filled me with a new sense of confidence and I hoped that it would encourage those who listened to perhaps do the same.