The Rising Sun Exhibition
Role: Co-Curator and Photographer
Client: Havering Changing
Outcome: Community Installation and Exhibition
The Rising Sun installation was a project envisaged by the artist David Shearing. The unique structure was installed in Romford Market during the summer of 2022, just in time for the market’s upcoming 775th anniversary. Using sound and light to create an immersive experience, the installation served to highlight the distinct voices of those in Romford’s local community. Visitors entered a serene space where they could listen to audio testimony from local people about their lives and experiences.
My role in this project was multifaceted. First, in July, I photographed David during the process of interviewing one-hundred local people and recording their voices. As part of the project’s promotion, my photos were sent to the press and were even featured on ITV news. Next, I was brought on as senior painter for the installation itself. During its time in the market, I was employed by Havering Changing to act as a host, helping people to engage with the project and encouraging them to share their own personal reflections. At the same time, I documented this collective experience through my photography.
However, it soon became clear that these photographs were not merely documentary evidence but a constitutive part of the project. The very act of documenting the creative process was creative in itself. In order to explore the story told by these photographs, they needed an exhibition of their own.
From Friday 9th September till Monday 3rd October, my photos were on displayed in the foyer of Queen’s Theatre, Hornchurch. This location enabled them to play an important role in the Blueprint Festival later that month, which showcased many new productions. They were an integral part of the theatre-going experience and helped stimulate creative discussion at the festival.
I played a leading role in curating this exhibition and making best use of the space provided. I constructed the frames used to display the photographs and took part in their installation. The exhibition also included audio and visual material developed during The Rising Sun project in Romford Market. Not merely memorialising The Rising Sun, my exhibition acted as an extension of it, bringing the message of the installation to a new audience.
