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'Re-' Seeking inspiration in the work of other artists - part 1

Tomomi Tomlin

After studying some artists' works, I went to galleries and exhibitions around London and sought inspiration. I usually walk around the streets where galleries are, see work through windows or the posters outside, and decide whether to walk in.


Here are my thoughts on some of the exhibitions I found some connections to 'Re-'


First, I visited the Hello Brain exhibition at Francis Crick Institution.

Colourful neurons and sheer white fabric create an intricate and ethereal installation.
Colourful neurons and sheer white fabric create an intricate and ethereal installation.

I walked in front of the institution many times and wanted to see the exhibition, so I finally did. I saw colourful strings and white fabric hanging from the high ceiling as we approached the exhibition space. I kept looking up, soaking into the installation. As we got closer, we realised they were knitted neurons between semi-transparent white plastic-based fabric. The fabric softens the colours and the shapes of neurons when looked at through the fabric. I liked this textile sculpture because it gave me a sense of scale, space, and openness and made us look up. I recall some studies that found that our mood improves when looking up. Maybe this is one of the reasons I like hanging sculptures and why my interest in making them grew.


I learnt that different types of neurons exist in our brain and have different functions and roles connecting the brain cell network. One of the information boards said, 'Thoughts, behaviours, and experiences that make you "you" are shaped by countless connections between the cells in your brain.'

This text made me think that everyone's life experience is unique, and it wires each individual's brain differently. So, everyone's reality (how we understand and recognise the world around us) differs from the person next to us. Even though we are in the same space and seeing the same things, we recognise reality and the world differently. This realisation made me rethink and reimagine how other people are experiencing the same experience, for example, this exhibition. Seeing other people's views and thoughts through art excites me, but this uniqueness also causes issues such as hatred, conflict and war....


They also displayed images of brain cells and neurons, which reminded me of the galaxy image. I thought about fractal geometry—a pattern repeated in our brain, the universe, our lungs, and tree root systems. Our body and mind have our own cosmos, which might reflect the universe.


After the Francis Crick Institution, I visited the British Library to see the Medieval Women: In Their Own Words exhibition.

Ethereal projections of ghostly women emerge and recede in an enchanting display.
Ethereal projections of ghostly women emerge and recede in an enchanting display.

As we are aware these days, the history we commonly know is written and constructed by men. The exhibition recontextualises medieval times through women's lives, displaying artefacts, relics, and stories from their private, public, and spiritual lives.


Back then, women mainly carried out unofficial, informal, and private acts in society, and there were only a few public records of women's achievements. For example, female medical practitioners performed informally and domestically as healers and carers, whereas male practitioners trained at the university became medical elites. Also, the female bodies were considered to be inferior to males, and the social value of women was based on the ability to bear children. Consequently, female health care focused on sexual and reproductive health and many treatments, which were a combination of ancient Greek and Roman medicine, were handed down from women to women.


Women's social value was linked to their ability to bear children, so maintaining a good appearance was the main focus of women's lives. As a result, the beauty routine textbook, which explained how to keep a good appearance, existed in the 12th century in Italy. The textbook used naturally sourced ingredients such as herbs, plants, and flowers, which have recently become popular to reduce the toxins intake through mass-produced cosmetics and their negative environmental impact.


The gender pay gap existed in the 15th century, as shown in the farmer's account book. However, it might be due to the work men and women carried out; one was physically demanding, and the other less so.


The exhibition made me rethink the traditional role of women worldwide, which we still mostly follow. Biologically, males and females have different bodies and male and female brains are wired differently to perform their own roles effectively, such as hunting and childbearing. Today, we try to neutralise the difference by implementing schemes, systems, and technology to promote equal opportunities. However, I sometimes wonder if this is against the flow of nature or the part of human evolution to adapt to the future environment. It gave me food for thought.


The exhibition content aside, the most exciting part of this exhibition was the projected images of medieval women in the exhibition space. As I walked into the space, I saw the shadows of a group of women in white light. Each woman's appearance emerges and recedes into the white light at different times. There are also projected female shadows on the white fabric with a white outline of the figure, and the shadow expands and extracts as if breathing (you can see the video here). I spent some time looking at them and trying to figure out how they work, as I love the use of light and shadow as art mediums and would love to create something like this in the future.


These two exhibitions made me think about the wonders of our human bodies, especially the brain, the biological difference between men and women, how this difference shapes societal roles, and how I would utilise space, light and shadow for the installations.



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