#massisolationFORMAT Exhibition at Derby Museum & Art Gallery
Anger, despair, lethargy, isolation, love, community, gratitude, indifference, helplessness, hopelessness, resilience, heartbreak, loneliness, creativity, turmoil, fear, anxiety, kindness, hope…
If you recognise this tumultuous range of emotions as a summary of the last 18 months, then you are not alone. The Covid-19 pandemic has thrown us all onto an emotional rollercoaster with the ups and downs of wading through lockdown after lockdown hitting us hard. I hope that, like me, you’ve been working on your mindset and well-being to figure out just how to process those feelings.
Well, one fantastic method is through the medium of photography and that’s what the subject of the current exhibition (#massisolationFORMAT) at Derby Museum and Art Gallery is.
As a keen amateur photographer, I can attest to how well taking photos helps my state of mind. Playing with composition and light is not only a fine outlet for creativity but also an excellent method of expressing yourself.
Organised by FORMAT, the UK’s leading international contemporary festival of photography, the Mass Isolation exhibition documents thousands of people’s creative response to the pandemic, charting its impact before, during and after the various lockdowns.
After visiting the Museum and Art Gallery while following the Derby Ram sculpture trail last week, I was so impressed and moved by this special exhibition, I knew I had to show you some of my fave images.
Table of Contents
The #massisolationFORMAT Project
Back in March 2020, FORMAT invited people to post images relating to their Covid-19 experiences on Instagram with the hashtag #massisolationFORMAT. The brief was to create an image which expressed your thoughts, feelings and views of the world around you during this really strange time: to create an insight into your lockdown world and what you are doing to get through it.
FORMAT then highlighted as many inspirational and story-telling submissions on their Instagram account. Here’s what they had to say about the process:
“It was certainly the longest durational curation that we had ever undertaken. Alongside this it was the most extraordinary and emotionally engaging process to engage with thousands of images streaming live from so many people throughout a period of intense turmoil. At times the stories of heartbreak, loneliness and community were overwhelming.”
FORMAT received over 40,000 entries from over 90 countries which allowed them to see just how different (and similar) peoples experiences were all around the world. It seems that rainbows in windows, technology, home-bound hobbies and a plethora of face coverings united us all.
What to Expect in the Exhibition
The Mass Isolation exhibit displays large individual prints of some of the most emotive images that were received, together with several huge photo mosaics wallpapering the white walls of the galleries.
These photo mosaics produced by The People’s Picture are fabulous. You can’t help but get drawn in, our eyes drinking in all the images together with the accompanying (almost overwhelming) thoughts and feelings. I could relate in some way to pretty much each and every image, which is an unusual situation for a photographic exhibit. All those feelings I listed at the beginning of this post are illustrated perfectly right in front of you.
Illustrating the Impact of Covid-19
Many themes can be seen throughout the exhibition. There are lots of striking self-portraits, including people surrounded by technology and children engrossed in games consoles; sparking memories of when everything moved online and when ‘zoom’ became more than just a camera feature.
Blurred faces at windows, see-through barriers splitting people apart and figures wrapped in plastic sheeting being hugged by another, hammer home those traumatic feelings of separation, isolation and loneliness.
Then there’s city scenes devoid of people, former hotspots now ghost towns, social distancing markings graffitiing every surface, signs in bold demanding ‘no this / no that, due to Covid’ – a common experience the world round.
Positivity & Hope
It’s not all doom and gloom though. Whilst there are thousands of images documenting the turmoil of Covid-19, there are also plenty illustrating the positives that have arisen. Spending time outdoors, rethinking our public spaces and engaging in different hobbies from simply walking in nature or gardening to wild swimming.
People have found a new love of the great outdoors even if it’s just what you have on your doorstep.
Indeed, the first image you see on entering the gallery shows a lady stood in an upper floor window looking longingly out at the world beyond, her mask still on but under her chin. Maybe she’s shielding, maybe she’s looking forward to that one allowed walk of the day, maybe she’s wistful for what once was…
You could read so much into this photo, but I like to see the hope in it – the celebration of your home, your sanctuary and the fact the outside world is still there, ready and waiting for us whenever we feel comfortable enough to venture out!
There’s even humour to be found amongst the images too – the blown-up PPE glove balloons and rolls of toilet paper gave me a wry smile, the latter of which we coveted immensely back in March 2020. Remember when we practically worshipped loo roll as great objects of desire…?
Masking up your pooches certainly had me chuckling too!
Derby Museum and Art Gallery have also done this in their nature gallery with their taxidermized fox which is normally touchable. He is still out on display, but now wears a mask and the sign next to him tells you that he has had to go into isolation and asks visitors to resist the urge to stroke him. Despite the underlying severity of the message, it’s wonderfully light-hearted in approach: I love it!
More About FORMAT21
You can read more about the #massisolationFORMAT exhibition online here. However, the exhibit is actually part of a much larger project – the FORMAT21 photography festival.
FORMAT21 went ahead virtually this year (12th March – 11th April) and following this, selected exhibits were chosen to be displayed across various venues in Derby from the 17th May – that long awaited for easing of lockdown milestone which has allowed us access to interior gallery spaces and venues here in the UK.
You can check out these other locations here – they all have different end dates between now and the 5th September 2021. However, if you are unable to get to see these in person or you’ve missed the dates, they are all available to view virtually online until the 1st March 2023.
Other Locations to See the #massisolationFORMAT Project
The image of two lovers kissing in a ‘bubble’ created by an upturned see-through bag has become an iconic feature of the Mass Isolation project. The photograph was taken by Argentinian photographers Luisa Magdalena and Nahuel Alfonso and inspired by Renè Magritte’s painting Les Amants.
This image is not only displayed at Derby Museum and Art Gallery, but it became the subject of a huge photo mosaic too.
The mosaic was produced as an online interactive high resolution 180 giga pixel image, composed of 180,574 photos. When you zoom in on the image, you are able to see the individual photos from #massisolationFORMAT up close and in detail. It’s mind-blowing! Check it out here
A section of the mosaic has also been turned into an enormous vinyl print installation which wraps around the exterior of the QUAD building in Derby City Centre, as well as the building’s pillar supports. It’s well worth walking past to see it.
Visiting Derby Museum & Art Gallery
The Mass Isolation exhibition (#massisolationFORMAT) at Derby Museum & Art Gallery is on until the 27th June 2021. It is set in the special exhibition galleries on the top floor of the museum.
As a result of Covid-19 procedures, there is a one-way system in place around the gallery, which means you do have to walk through all the other museum spaces to get to the temporary exhibition galleries.
These include the World Collection – an impressive array of artefacts from all around the world; The Soldier’s Story, charting the local infantries from the 1700’s to World War II; the Joseph Wright of Derby gallery showing an extensive collection of the local artist’s work; the Nature room (which is a taxidermist’s dream) and the Archaeology gallery, which contains a 3,400-year-old boat made from a single oak tree trunk originally over 10m long.
There is certainly a little something that will pique your interest for everyone at Derby Museum and Art Gallery.
SPECIAL NOTE:
When you reach the #massisolationFORMAT exhibition, please be prepared to find it very emotional and moving. I think FORMAT have done a cracking job at documenting this period of time (what is now ‘history’) and it will be a fantastic source of reference for future generations. On their website, FORMAT state:
“The platform or indeed, community, that we created through the simple act of making and sharing a hashtag #massisolationFORMAT has provided a space for new relationships and collaborations to form and we hope it has given inspiration and hope to all those involved. We are grateful to everyone who contributed.”
Opening Hours & Facilities
Tuesday – Saturday: 10.30 – 16.00
Sunday: 12.00 – 16.00
Monday: Closed.
There is a café on the ground floor serving a range of hot and cold drinks, snacks, cakes and light lunches. There are toilets and a lift.
You do not need to book a timed entry slot, but at busy times please be aware that there may be a queue to enter.
Get in Touch
Have you seen the #massisolationFORMAT exhibition? What did you think? Also, how cool is the mosaic on the side of the QUAD building?
Drop me a line and let me know your thoughts, or if you’re planning to visit. I’d love to hear from you.
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Further Reading…
Read all about my previous visit to Derby when the weeping window of poppies cascaded from the Silk Mill.
And keep an eye out for my next blog post all about the Derby Ram Sculpture Trail! Coming shortly…
If like me you’re a fan of the quirky things you come across in your travels – those weird and wonderful sculptures and installations on a monumental scale, you might like to check out these:
The Knife Angel (I saw it in Liverpool) / The Dream Sculpture ‘squished head’ / the Iron Men on Crosby Beach
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