I have recently spent almost two years working with ten photographers from across the UK to curate a show called "Horizons (over which we may choose to disappear)". It is a show whose theme of Sustainability has been captured in some very different ways by those involved.

The show had its' genesis at a day in Hull; one of the Hothouse days which Redeye Photographic Network ran each year prior to its demise in 2024. The day consisted of short presentations by photographers about their work. It was linked with Hull's Eco Fest and so the theme of sustainability was a natural choice. I helped organise the day but was not a speaker myself and was astounded by the variety and depth of the presentations. I subsequently approached Redeye and suggested a physical show. Of those who spoke on the day ten responded and it was those people with whom I worked.

Having got the commitment I needed a venue and approached the Director of the wonderful Brynmor Jones Library gallery space at Hull University. I knew that they would normally only show one photographic exhibition per year and so created the most impressive outline bid I could make. It worked and we had our gallery.

Having made a plan of the space and divided and measured the walls into roughly equal areas I asked the ten photographers to bid for one of the spaces. This meant that I could work with them with the space allocated in mind. I also sent a short video of the space to give an idea of the size, which is substantial. Over the coming months I included the ten in as many decisions as it was possible to involve them in. Some, but not all, I managed to meet during that time. I was clear that I had no budget for this and that I would expect them to prepare prints (on the basis that they would belong to them and be returned) and also asked them to get the work to me - again on the basis that it would be my responsibility to return them. This worked well although I needed to store some of the work at my home prior to the hanging.

There were a number of issues to be discussed with the University around access, storage, publicity and health and safety guidance for hanging the work. I also signed an agreement over our separate and joint responsibilities. None of this was hard as the team were very obliging and helpful as well as being on hand. They also funded an opening event. An past art history student of the University whom I had met and kept in touch with since the days when I had my own gallery in Beverley, Alina Cretu, offered to design the posters and invitations. My very grateful thanks to her.   One of the key points was that the gallery was re-decorated after each show and as one of the walls was to have a background of self-adhesive acrylic wallpaper it was important that it was not painted on this occasion. This was written into the instructions for the decorators. Of course when I began delivering work a couple of days before the installation the first thing I saw was the painted wall.....

Nothing will ever go according to plan with an installation.  It was lucky that I had sought assistance from Abbie Jennings, a photographer and curator herself, whom I had got to know. The painted wall needed to be sanded in the areas where the paper would be hung. Luckily it worked. One set of very large prints which were to be hung with clips arrived without them. We found more and looked at the photographers website to see how they had been hung in the past. Five photographers chose to come and hang their own work with some assistance from us. Most of the photographers had ideas of how they wanted their work to look on the wall but few had an actual drawn plan which made the measuring and arrangement and sequencing of work on the walls a longer job than expected. Work in cardboard tubes needed flattening overnight.

The show was due to be formally opened on the Thursday evening at 5pm. I had allowed for hanging on the Monday and Tuesday of that week with the Wednesday as a possible extra day and Thursday morning and afternoon for tidying up. We needed the Wednesday afternoon in the end, a final task made slightly quicker and easier by on of the photographers coming in and helping me finalise this work of sixteen framed pictures on hooks in a straight line when the tension on the wire was not even on all the frames!! The lighting was also adjusted once most of the pieces were in place so that we could make the most of the spaces.

Every piece of work was mounted in a slightly different way and we found some were much easier than others. For instance self adhesive strips on lighter pictures work well until they don't. Then you need much more substantial strips of self adhesive velcro. We were lucky in the gallery allowing the use of screws and panel pins in some cases. It is also much easier to show pictures in more random arrangements than in blocks were each picture must be precisely balanced and distanced from those around them so that the edges all line up (and often more interesting visually as well so long as you have some plan which uses the shapes and colours in interesting ways that draw the eye). At the end of the hanging everyone was pleased with the flow of the show which changed from photographer to photographer but was cohesive overall.

I had negotiated with the gallery that sales could be made commission free via the photographers themselves and so had devised a board for each participant with QR codes for their websites and email addresses as well as information about them and a short statement about their work. These were all printed in the same way and placed last of all. Luckily we had access to some of the paint that had been used on the walls and could paint over any marks we had made. Each show is a learning curve and this was fun even if stressful at times. A sense of humour can be very helpful as well as a willingness to just keep going. So there we have it. The show is ongoing at the time of writing. As of this morning everything is still on the wall, although one picture has fallen off three times now and been re-hung. Why this one? Goodness knows. One panel of the wallpaper partially peeled off but has been re-stuck, at least for the present. An incorrect QR code has been replaced. The job of curator stretches beyond the opening and I will continue popping in if things need sorting and to read the comments left.

So here is a short video of the installation and opening night now you know the story more fully...