MAPPING THE CHANGE

Arnau Oriol Sanchez, Chris Dorley-Brown and David Boulogne's works are part of this long temporary Summer exhibition at the Hackney Museum. This show is mostly History and Communities orientated. A certain emphasis have been put on Arnau who is commissioned by the Museum to capture the change of the borough in specific areas. This exhibition is versatile and can be read like a book. There are two photographic areas. One presents a slide show of various artists. The second one is a montage of medium size prints over three walls, those pictures are all portraits of local residents.

cover photograph Arnau Oriol Sanchez

ARTERIES OF A NEW EAST

Arteries of a new East is the definite title for this series I started in December 2009. I will display this body of work I ended photographing in December 2011 in two presentation formats depending on the specifications.

My first choice resulting from my numerous walks come as a selection of montages of six images with title at the bottom. Each walk selected would be mounted on a traditional dark wooden frame. The images would adopt the similar pattern of 6 (2 columns of 3) vertically and should be reinforced by a traditional thin mount on which the title should be engraved at the bottom. The idea is to mix the high digital quality of the prints (from film) with a classical method of showing ancient documents. I find that mix the perfect way to engage with the subject I have been dealing with in its form and content. Each frame are 40x50cm and they are not limited in numbers. 
This presentation is already available at the Hackney Museum as part of their archives and recent shows related to the Mapping the Change project.

My second choice comes as a collection of individual images. Each of them would be displayed in a 20x30cm light white frame. Ideally showing a lot of them together would make more sense as they would produce a journey by their singularities and dispersion at the same time. Here again there is no limited numbers.

Meanwhile I have been working on essays and I am trying to coordinate very specific and alternative events around the project. Shows, essays, press articles, installations and happenings are in the pipeline. If you have any interest in collaborating with us please contact me. My time on this transitional journey of the East part of London as a photographer is now over. I may try to work on other aspects of the area or the Olympic event itself but nothing certain at this stage. Below an extract of my essay.

 

"The East London I am unveiling through my walks is not a final statement but it depicts that transitional state. It questions deep social awareness and political agendas. Not initially conceived as an ideal place for the people, the East has found throughout History its peculiar identity. It is a hybrid combination originating from its own people that forged a sense of belonging. Its new proximity to the centre will deeply change the unique and alternative social context by appropriation through mass investments in a vast and lucrative opportunity.

The photo-montages expose an effervescent burying of the old urban landscape by a new mainstream one. Thanks to uninspired governing bodies a creative stimulus arise from the local resident to map its identity despite its apparent disappearance. The uniqueness of the zone will be remembered because of the values it inspired. The landscape will vanish but its memory will last. Those arteries are still fuelled with passion and not profit. They are vital to a healthy democracy. The East once relegated is now melting into an unavoidable conformism. Local residents still have a voice but that will only last the time they can afford to live it."