Memento vivere has concluded
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Welcome to Project Rattloch: Week 13.
The final four days of Memento Vivere have come to a close. I'm so grateful to Leon Clowes for his support during the week; he told me there was a steady stream of about 20 visitors per evening, which was lovely to hear. It meant people were still discovering the exhibition. The first three days were great, and Leon said there were some interesting conversations happening. My friend Ruth and her mum came on Tuesday evening and had some nice chats with other artists. I also got a couple of shares on Instagram, which I really appreciated, including two people who posted videos.
My plan was to be there for the closing event on Thursday. I felt a bit insecure about how many would attend, so I posted everywhere, set up a new event page, and spent money on Facebook ads, which was probably a waste of time since only nine people signed up for the finalé.
Getting there was honestly a nightmare. It was touch-and-go whether I'd make it because I needed a babysitter, but my sister came through at the last minute. The race to the train station was a blur, but I made it just in time. Halfway through the journey, though, my heart sank. Our train ground to a halt in Reading, thanks to power lines being down near Paddington. I was so sure I was going to miss the exhibition that I was ready to give up and head home. Then, just when I'd lost hope, the train lurched forward. I arrived at 6:30pm, only a half hour late, a small price to pay for what felt like a huge victory.
When I arrived, I met Shak, the security guard, who had an incredibly moving story. He knew the exhibition was about mortality but not specifically having themes around kidney failure. This really hit him hard because his dad had passed away from kidney failure in 2016. He said his dad had chronic kidney failure as a child, had two attempted kidney transplants, and passed away in his 40s. He was so touched by the exhibition, it was so unexpected for him, but it gave a sense of relief.
I'd almost cancelled the security for the evening since so few people had RSVP'd, but I had a feeling I should keep it. This amazing connection made it all worthwhile, as sad as the story was. Shak also provides security for Big Penny Social, that trendy bar in Blackhorse Road where I went with friends a couple of months ago. He said the next time we're in there, to just mention his name and we'll get a free drink. How lovely is that?
My curator, Maria, also brought a guest with her for the final evening. I thought she was a friend at first. Maria gave her a tour of the artwork, and then she asked me to finish it when I arrived. I showed the woman the last four or five paintings, and we had a really nice conversation. She seemed genuinely interested in the ideas behind my artwork. I later found out she was an art collector and a client of Maria's. I'm glad I didn't know beforehand because it might have changed how I spoke, which would have been a shame. It just goes to show you never know who might be interested in collecting your art.
It was also a real pleasure to meet Dee Moore from Diary of a Kidney Warrior and her brother. We had some wonderful conversations. She's currently on dialysis but looked so healthy. Another person who joined us was an artist who'd had a kidney transplant. My friend Rosemary had told her about the exhibition. I love how all these little connections formed and came together in a physical space. I'm starting to see the real importance of face-to-face interactions over online ones. A lot happens online, but you don't get the same close connections, eye contact, and emotion. Online interactions can be shallow or volatile because you aren't truly present, and it's easy to be reactive to comments, whereas in person you're generally more courteous.
I chatted with a few other people too. One lady had a Memento Mori tattoo, which was really cool. It was a nice, quiet evening to end the exhibition. I think if it had been super busy, it wouldn't have had the same intimate feeling. It was a good ending overall.
I'm so grateful to my friend Moussa, who drove all the way from Swindon straight after work to come to the exhibition and also give me a lift back. We had some lovely chats about creativity. He was very life-affirming, telling me how brave it was for me to do this exhibition. For me, it's just another project, but for others, especially those who want to be more creative, they see the courage it takes to put yourself out there. Most people work and then go home to watch TV, so I'm grateful for these different perspectives. Overall, it's been a fantastic experience!
I'll end my post here for now. My next project is to set up a documentary about my experiences. I have no idea how to make one, so if you have any tips or ideas, please let me know. Next week, I'll give a full reflection on the entire exhibition, and then I will go through the guest book and read out the comments, I’ve been saving this for when I have some quiet time.
Oh yes, one more thing, it was also Swindon Open Studios this weekend (and next), so lots of different studios in Swindon opened their doors to the public. I didn't have time to organise anything properly, but I did open my studio and put some art prints up for sale. You should have seen the chaos in there from the exhibition! I had a last-minute panic and got there at 10am when it was opening at 11am to make it presentable. Other artists make their studios look ridiculously tidy, but I wanted mine to look like a real working studio. Here's a little video below of what it looked like.
It probably doesn't look that bad to you, but I know how messy it is! It looks okay, though, and quite interesting visually!
Take care, and I'll speak to you next week.
Best wishes,
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