Whilst the centrepiece of the upcoming exhibition is my FMP series, the event includes both a brief history of Cambodia to set context, and a little on the education programs to end with hope – hence the title Unfinished stories: from Genocide to Hope. The venue is highly suited to such an educational / multi media event, and so far it is attracting a fair bit of local attention, particularly as Sarath will be coming especially from Phnom Penh.
BRLSI has the show on their main page, here.
There is a logical space for a brief introduction to the exhibition, which I have printed as an A1 board, and which uses my FMP project definition / introduction. I am also included two quotes (thanks, Krishna, for the inspiration) which set the scene well.
‘The story of the Genocide that happened between 1975 and 1979 in Cambodia has faded gradually away from people’s minds, like smoke being blown away by the wind’
Mak Remissa, 2014
‘Can peaceful, seemingly ordinary places evoke experiences of horror and death? Do the scars of history leave a permanent imprint on a landscape?’
Natalie Herschdorfer, 2010
Wall One Layout
Wall Two Layout with Video
The venue provides the capability for hanging two A0 double-sided posters to ‘break up’ the space.
I have simple but terrifying quotes from the Khmer Rouge, complementing the quotes on the images and telling their own story about how bad things were for the population under their rule. This continues the idea in the images, and invites the audience to reflect.
Wall Three Layout with Posters
Printing was by N3Graphics, the firm that BRLSI usually uses for the posters.
Here are the details of the ‘hanging posters’.
Hanging Poster One
Hanging Poster Two
Wall Three Grid
The space also has a display cabinet in the middle of the room.
The main ‘collateral’ are 4 A2 history boards, which will go inside the horizontal display cabinets. My principal printer, Loxley, did all of display boards to their usual very high standard. All are fully reusable for future shows.
I am considered using the traditional Cambodia krama scarf as backcloth. Here’s a view looking straight down on the cabinets:
Horizontal Display Cabinets
In talking to people about my work, it is near-universal that the history needs to be explained for the audience to fully understand what they are using in the main images. I hope that these boards do exactly that.
The other upright display cabinets will feature ‘Hope ‘ to finish off the show as it is these are in the last part of the room that visitors will walk through. There is a display board on an easel and copies of Mom & Map – the magazines that Save the Children distributed in primary schools for years and which for a while were the most widely circulated publication in Cambodia. I may adjust this when we actually set the show up on December 4th.
Vertical Display Cabinets
I have also created small A4 free-standing ‘strut cards’ to help people navigate the exhibition and to sell the book.
Branding throughout uses Victoria’s book design and colours, with the aim of having an elegant, calm, professional and consistent feel to the materials which compliments the main FMP photographs.
These have been printed by Solopress, whose service, value for money, speed and quality I have found to be excellent.
There will also be a double-sided leaflet to fit inside the existing BRLSI dispensers, A5 size, and also printed by Solopress.
As a final touch, I have had a series of 14 postcards printed (by Moo.com). These have proven very popular in past group events. One side has a photograph of one of the FMP images in the show, and the other has a few details and a ‘call to action’ on the book 🙂
Postcard Side One
Postcard Side Two
It is my hope that people will be interested enough to take these away and to learn more, both about the Cambodian Genocide and my photography.
Header: Strut Cards