Monday, October 04, 2021

RHS Botanical Art & Photography Show - extended until 9th October 2021

This is a summary of the blog posts I've written recently - on my website Botanical Art and Artists - about the RHS Botanical Art & Photography Show 2021. 


This show normally lasts for 2 days in one of the RHS Horticultural Halls in Victoria - and attracts exhibitors and visitors from all over the world. 

Featuring more than 200 of the best botanical artwork and garden photography by 34 global artists, all competing for an RHS Medal.
Last year - like many other annual exhibitions - it was cancelled.

This year, it had to change the way it worked - and moved to the Saatchi Gallery in Chelsea - for three weeks. It was initially two weeks but the show has been extended to Saturday 9th October.

These are my blog posts reviewing the medals awarded, the two shows and the changes in 2021 - and what needs to happen in future - in reverse chronological order


I'm really pleased that the RHS managed to get an exhibition up and running despite the many very significant challenges. 

However the show was VERY quiet and there were no artists - or as one visitor put it
A very different venue to the usual Lindley Hall and the exhibits looked very good in the setting. Missed the atmosphere though, along with chatting to the artists and more information provided about each exhibit.
I think it's a big mistake to consider this show to be an exhibition - as opposed to an EVENT which includes an exhibition.
 
Or as I said in my overview post
My main concern for the future is that the RHS gets back to remembering that this is NOT JUST AN EXHIBITION!

This is very emphatically an EVENT i.e. PEOPLE (not just artwork) come too, to:
  • meet up with other botanical artists and photographers
  • talk to the people exhibiting 
  • talk to one another - many make plans to meet up with people from all over the country and have lunch or dinner afterwards
  • sell (and buy) artwork, prints and cards
  • network, network, network to plan future projects, exhibits etc
It's this networking and making connections aspect which helps raise the standard of botanical art. It's hugely important to the wellbeing of the genre.

Note the difference between the Installation Views - and photos in my posts and this video of the show in the Lindley Hall in 2017

For all those who follow Botanical Art 
Posted by Making A Mark on Monday, October 04, 2021
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