Exhibition chronicles a special journey
THE sense of home and of belonging, of links to our past and our history is intrinsic to who we are as individuals.
Millions were displaced from their homes and homelands during the Second World War, and the world is again seeing peoples forced to leave their homelands by war, invasion, famine, climate and politics.
This theme runs through The Wilson’s new exhibition, Clear of People, by acclaimed photographer Michal Iwanowski, which opens at the refurbished and recently re-opened art gallery and museum on Saturday October 22.
In 2013, Iwanowski retraced the journey his grandfather and great uncle made and mapped in 1945, following their escape from a Russian prisoner of war camp. They followed a simple rule; stay clear of people, in order to survive.
His series of beautiful, stark landscapes, of quiet forests and snowbound open spaces document the harsh environment of north-east Europe which is again a site of conflict.
This thought provoking exploration of home and displacement, reminds us of the personal stories behind the statistics of war.
Set across two floors, the exhibition conveys Iwanowski’s 1,360 mile journey from Russia to Poland crossing the borders of many countries, and includes drawings and photographs from the past, telling one family’s story now shared across two generations.
His grandfather’s escape route, mapped against the changing borders of the last 78 years, illustrates how European territories have been claimed, re-claimed and changed by invading and retreating forces, as pertinent today as ever in light of the current Ukrainian crisis.
This human story is brought to life through photographs of Iwanowski’s family, diary entries and letters. The exhibition takes the viewer on a journey through the majestic, peaceful forests of Lithuania which now grow over vast Second World War execution sites where the bodies of the dead lie unseen, just as the poppies of Flanders Field grew where the soldiers fell in battle in northern France.
The artist said: “I have no interest in judging history, nor am I interested in glorifying my relatives.
But just what happens to all those people who one day wake up to a war? Who mourns the lost ones? Our landscape is crowded with ghosts on their way home, east, west, north, south. There is no room in history books to fit all those people.”
As relevant today as any time since 1945, Clear of People provides an opportunity to reflect on the impact of war on families and communities as conflict continues to displace millions facing fear and violence around the world.
The exhibition invites visitors to share their own journeys in an interactive display. In response to the question – how did you get here – communities and visitors will be invited to create their own personal maps and stories, describing their family experience which will grow to become part of the exhibition over the coming months.
In keeping with the all the galleries and exhibitions at The Wilson, Clear of People is free to visit.
Visitors are encouraged to make a donation, a suggested donation is £3. Every donation helps The Cheltenham Trust, as a not for profit charity, to continue to provide art, history and heritage for all to enjoy.
The exhibition will be accompanied by a rolling programme of events and conversations inspired and informed by its themes.
The Wilson in Clarence Street is open Tuesday to Saturday 10am – 6pm, Sundays 10am – 4pm. The Wilson Kitchen arts café is open every day serving tea, coffee and cake, all-day breakfasts and light lunches.