Cathy's Art Diary

Thoughtful exhibition at the Museum of the Home of photographs of disabled people at the door of their homes. Curated by Digital Disability the show presented the photograph with words by the sitter on what their home means to them. Some commented on having been in institutions as children, often referred to as ‘homes’ giving home a dual meaning to them. Under each picture there was then a biography of the sitter and, in some cases, toys representing disabled people.   Closed 25 June 2023

Strange exhibition at the Museum of the Home of work by contemporary Vietnamese diasporic artists presenting works about the theme of home. I say strange because most of the work was set out on low displays and you were invited to sit on hessian cushions on the floor to view the pieces. I’m not the most agile so didn’t really feel able to do this and move around the displays. All the labels were nearly at foot level so impossible to read standing up. Hence, although many of the objects looked beautiful, I have no idea who they were by or what they represented. The display is partly to gather ideas for a Vietnamese room for the museum as it is situated in the heart of that community in London. I liked the touch of having a small shrine at the entrance to the display which is evidently typical of Vietnamese homes. Closed 11 July 2023

Interesting archival project from the Museum of the Home, formerly the Geffrye  Museum, to record and document how our home lives are changing during the coronavirus pandemic. As part of their Documenting Homes archive. I’ve taken part and it’s easy to do. There are seven open questions around how you feel about your home at the moment while you are spending so much time in it, then you can also upload up to five photographs which you feel sum up your experience. It just took me a few minutes to do and made me reflect on the here and now and what had changed. You can also read other people’s stories which does give a sense of all being in this together if apart. In one talk I listened to last week online someone said we need to remember that everyone’s experience of lockdown will be different and once we emerge not to assume we have all been doing the same thing, Reading these stories really brings this home. Personally, as I’m furloughed, I’m treating it like a sabbat...