Taking a photographic journey with Michal
HOME resonates with us all, the familiarity, the sense of sanctuary and safety, the place where memories are made with family and friends.
Clear of People, the photographic exhibition running at The Wilson Art Gallery and Museum, depicts the journey taken by acclaimed Polish born photographer Michal Iwanowski across Eastern Europe.
Iwanowski was retracing the footsteps of his grandfather and great uncle back to their home in Poland after escaping from a Russian POW camp during the Second World War in 1945. Their mantra to survive was to stay clear of people.
Visitors to the exhibition, which is displayed across two galleries at the art gallery and museum in Clarence Street, are invited to share their reactions by writing messages on postcards, available alongside the exhibition.
The stories from the 1940s and the haunting winter landscapes featured in the photographs on show have evoked deep feelings and memories.
One visitor said it brought back memories for her 92-year-old mother.
‘She spent two years in a Siberian camp... and still has nightmares today,’ she wrote.
Another wrote: ‘Incredible photography, so thought-provoking. I work with refugees and asylum seekers and was struck by how similar their wants and needs are to this. The longing for home, the shock of displacement, the drive for survival. Humans are always on the move – by choice or circumstance. But beautiful to see how the pull of home and family can give hope for the future and something to fight for.’
‘We have Ukranian refugees staying. This exhibition brought me to tears.’
‘Photographs and word are devastatingly timeless – I fear they will never – as they have never – gone out of fashion. A beautiful exhibition that poignantly echoes the human condition.’
‘It’s not often you stop long enough to face a concept like this, or have a concept presented in a way you can face, see, hear, imagine. This gave me that moment and for that I am grateful.’
There are already two shelves in the gallery filled with postcards written by people who have visited in the first few weeks since Clear of People opened.
More postcards have already been ordered to meet the demand. The exhibition Clear of People runs until February 5.
In keeping with 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 for this exhibition is £3. Every donation helps The Cheltenham Trust, as a not for profit charity, to continue to provide art, history and heritage for free for all to enjoy.
If you haven’t visited the exhibition yet, do come and take in the sweeping landscapes of Clear of People and you are welcome to contribute your response on the postcard wall.