Mary Branson’s ‘Unearthing’ at Gosport Museum & Art Gallery
Categories
Project Info
Artists
- Mary Branson
Partners
- Gosport Museum & Art Gallery
- Hampshire Cultural Trust
A&H recently supported Hampshire Culture Trust to select an artist for their annual commission at Gosport Museum & Art Gallery. Unearthing by multimedia artist Mary Branson is an immersive installation which combines hundreds of locally discovered archaeological artefacts in a sculptural display with sound and light projection, telling the story of humanity’s journey from the past to the present day.
For this work, Branson’s particular inspiration came from research into archaeological finds in Hampshire Cultural Trust’s collections from both the Gosport area and across Hampshire more broadly. The artwork also draws inspiration from the ‘frozen’ time periods of Covid lockdowns and the deep time of human history and its connections. Through these artefacts we are connected in a long chronology of both time and space, rebirth and communality, offering reassurance that our temporary existence is part of a far vaster span of time.
It was a pleasure to support Gosport Museum and it was great to work with them again in selecting their programme of commissions, following last year’s Heinrich and Palmer commision. You can find out more about the exhibition by visiting Gosport’s website here.
If you want to get in touch with Arts&Heritage about consultancy work, please visit here for more information.
Photograph credits: David McKibben©️
Gosport Museum and Art Gallery sits on the High Street in the centre of the town. Formerly Gosport Grammar School, the Grade II listed building has undergone a major, £1.4 million refurbishment project in 2022 to transform it into a cultural hub for the whole community. The refurbished building blends history, heritage, arts, education and culture all under one roof, with a programme of exhibitions, talks, workshops and events, as well as curriculum-linked science and history sessions for schools. Gosport Museum and Art Gallery is home to an art gallery, museum, a community gallery, play gallery for under-fives, learning rooms and a café. The refurbishment project has been made possible by funding from a number of sources, including Gosport High Street Heritage Action Zone programme led by Historic England, Arts Council England, the Foyle Foundation, Gosport Borough Council, donations from individuals and groups, including the Friends of Gosport Museum, as well as investment by Hampshire Cultural Trust. Hampshire County Council is a key supporter and major funder of the project.
The Artist
Mary Branson is an award-winning print maker, a choreographer for a number of performance and dance events, and a mentor and public speaker. She has held a number of artistic residencies, including for Parliament, the British Council, Crisis, RHS Wisley and Watts Gallery, where she led an art group for women prisoners at HMP Send. She is best known for her large-scale conceptual light works, including New Dawn: her sculpture that is currently in the Houses of Parliament.
