Why do an exhibition?

What's on my mind this week

It is exhibition week.

I am currently 300 km away from my home in beautiful Nannup in WA’s southwest, where everything is so green it reminds me of Ireland along the river banks. I write this while the temperature plummets after sunset and we crouch around the fire. It is honestly the most beautiful way I have ever spent a week leading up to my exhibition.

Where I currently am writing this from

I wanted to write this to talk through things for me, and for anyone who is or wants to do an exhibition in the future.

This is where my head is at, and I’ll explain what I have to do and why.

Firstly, this is exhibit number five for me, but the first in what feels like a step in the right direction. I have been meticulous with my shooting, planning, and execution on these frames. I am so clear on what I wanted from each one and even clearer on how I wanted them to be presented.

Here we are, five days away from showing, three days away from picking them up.

I rarely feel too much of anything beforehand; I don’t think I allow myself to. I know what the night will feel like: people will come, have a glass of wine, see the art, tell me it looks great (regardless of whether they think so or not), and repeat that 50 times or so. I don’t do it for that. I never have. Honestly, I just hope someone comes in and understands the point of what’s on the walls. It’s not real; it’s almost cartoonish. I want people to see it that way, funny but also beautiful.

Now the prep work going into it. I spent the better part of a full day getting the space ready with the owner. It is a beautiful space but wasn’t quite ready for an exhibition. Obviously, I had to get the images printed and checked before going to the framer, both of whom I have worked with for years and trust 100% (you have to as a photographer). After booking the space, that was the next step. Once the space was ready and prints sorted, I had to set up and finish my catalogue. This is where you can put information about the work, sizing, editions, and the narrative behind the series.

Here’s mine:

Adam Kenna’s series “Aussie Kulture,” a shift to colour photography, marks a pivotal evolution for his practice. Kenna infuses storytelling with humor, delving into global interpretations of modern Australian culture. Drawing from celebrities and pop culture references, Kenna challenges conventional notions of Australian values, rooted in his personal journey of adaptation and assimilation since immigrating at a young age. "Aussie Kulture" encourages viewers to reconsider their perceptions of modern Australian culture, engaging with its complexities through a whimsical yet thought-provoking lens.

Not bad, right? My beautiful partner helped me with it. Anyway, with this sorted, the focus the day beforehand will be on getting the display right: hanging the works with good even spacing, the right height (middle of the frame around eye height). This can be changed by the space you’re in, but 99% of the time the middle of the frame should be at normal eye height. Ensuring the light is adequate but not causing reflections in the pieces is very important for framed pieces.

Now the room is ready and I spent good time getting it right. On to the day of the exhibit. This day is about getting the smaller details sorted for the night to make it as easy as possible for people to come in, grab a glass of wine, see the art (purchase if they wish), and have enough room to stand, talk to people, and enjoy the space.

On the day, I will have all my catalogues printed and ready to hand out, my payment system set up so people can buy a piece if they choose. Organize the wine, glasses, and double-check the display and lighting. Music is massive for exhibitions; it can add to or detract from the space. So the music you choose has to accompany the pieces and story you are telling on the night.

Get a few words ready. Some people choose to speak at exhibitions. I personally think you have to. I think you are more likely to form an actual connection with the audience when they see and hear you speak about the pieces and why you took them. Imagine you are at a concert and the musician just sang the songs with nothing in between? You might as well have not spent $100 and streamed the songs. You go to gigs for the atmosphere, the community, and the stories. It’s how we connect with one another as humans. I’m not saying a concert is on par with an exhibition opening, but the right story with the right audience can make people connect with art in the same way.

All of this is currently in my mind. I have walked this road before; however, this one feels different from the others. The others I don’t think I was fully sold on what I was trying to say. I had the photos and the story came retrospectively. This time I went into each frame knowing where and how this will be used, seen, and why.

If you are reading this and ever find yourself planning an exhibition and worrying about what you have to do, let me tell you that you are not alone. You are doing better than you think and should keep going because this world needs as much art as we can make.

Cinderella on arrival will be a print at this exhibition