Having pretty much settled the main wall hanging and sequence, I needed to turn my attention to the information boards. Whilst the show is focused on the landscape images with quotes, I consider it necessary to provide context on the Genocide and then on Sarath / Simeth’s education work afterwards – hence the title, Unfinished Stories – From Genocide to Hope.
The BRLSi space is excellent for this approach, so I have determined to use some of the wall space near the entrance to provide information panels, in the form of timelines. I have a deep suspicion that little of this will be known to visitors.
An example of one of the boards is:
This keeps to the ‘branding’ style of the book, using the same dark green headline colours, very much a colour of Cambodia. I also think it fits nicely with the ‘educational’ nature of the BRLSI venue.
Putting these into situ on wall one, this is essentially the first thing the audience will see. The history boards are A2, the main images are A1. There are other walls between windows to the left, which I might also use for history boards, to space things out.
As people turn, they will see the A0 hanging posters, which is a feature of BRLSI. I plan to use these to reinforce the power (and terror) of the Khmer Rouge, featuring propaganda quotes of the time, as here:
The two fixed, hanging posters effectively form an entry into both the video area and the main wall of the show.
Whilst these posters look very big, the room is large, and perspective is at work, here.
The Selgado photographs on the back wall are roughly A1.
Sebastião Salgado, 2016
The second wall, to the left behind the posters, will have the video, and is unchanged. Photographs also A1.
The final wall is thus unchanged.
8 A2 images, in a grid.
It is a big space, and there is likely going to be a display cabinet after the hanging boards and before the main wall – my next job.
The back of the hanging boards will contain information about the ‘hope’ side of the story – biography and the schools program. Something like this:
I am feeling good about how this flows and is shaping – clean, understated and fact-based – yet hopefully it will both engage the audience and ask them to think.