Friday, March 29Royal Holloway's offical student publication, est. 1986

Tag: Exhibition

Hope to Nope?
Culture & Literature, Visual Arts

Hope to Nope?

The Design Museum is situated on Kensington High Street, a beautiful building with fascinating exhibits inside. One recent exhibit looked at the graphic design aspects of political activism. Entitled ‘Hope to Nope: Graphics and Politics 2008 - 2018’, it sought to explore the evolving nature of design, particularly within the changing landscape of politics in the last decade. The exhibit showcased many beautiful designs, all likely familiar to those who have not only engaged in politics but simply logged onto Facebook in recent years. As soon as you walk in to the ‘Hope to Nope’ exhibit, after an odd descent down a steep staircase, you are greeted by a bright yellow wall, with an explanation for the exhibits existence. The explanation describes the “turbulent decade” we have experienced and...
Balenciaga Exhibition
Lifestyle

Balenciaga Exhibition

  “the master of us all” - Christian Dior A brief history. Cristóbal Balenciaga has always been and continues to be a huge influence on twentieth-century fashion. What separates him from other designers is his willingness to go against the grain in a bid to revolutionise the traditional, feminine silhouette. Due to the Spanish Civil War, Cristóbal moved to Paris. He soon became inspired by French established designers, such as Gabrielle Chanel and Madeleine Vionnet and learnt the art of design by dismantling their garments to see the craftsmanship behind them and redirect this same skill towards his own work. To veer away from the popularised cinched waist of the time, a shape that was notoriously linked to Christian Dior’s Corolle collection, Balenciaga broke from the mainst...
Exhibition in commemoration of Royal Holloways suffrage history
News

Exhibition in commemoration of Royal Holloways suffrage history

The suffragette campaign swept through Britain in the late 18th century in demand for greater gender equality and the expansion of the political franchise to women. This year marks the release of the motion picture 'Suffragette', and a growing recognition for the campaign of rights for women. The ‘Suffrage at Royal Holloway’ exhibition in early October commemorated the inspiring campaign for women in the eighteenth and nineteenth century. This was featured in the Victorian Gallery one of the many historical gems of Royal Holloway, and a rather fitting location for the celebration given the era. Former alumna Emily Wilding Davidson, whose ideas of women’s rights were founded during her five terms at the university in 1892, featured in the exhibit and is particularly notable for her mi...
Audrey Hepburn: Portraits of an Icon
Culture & Literature, Visual Arts

Audrey Hepburn: Portraits of an Icon

Ever wondered how life began for the fashion icon and infamous actress, Audrey Hepburn? From her traumatic upbringing in the German-occupied Netherlands to her overwhelming success in Hollywood and inspirational outreach work, get up-close and personal with some rarely seen photographs and prints donated by her family. This wonderful exhibition has been on at the National Portrait Gallery in London since 2nd July, but it hasn’t decreased in popularity. Do not fear, there's still just over a week left to experience this unique opportunity (finishing 18th October). Although likely to be very crowded, the enjoyment far outweighs pushing through groups of people when approaching a photograph. Learn about her dancing career, read about her iconic films and watch her striking style progres...
The feminist behind the flash
Culture & Literature, Visual Arts

The feminist behind the flash

Feminism as an ideology has snaked throughout all elements of the media, all the more prominently in the last couple of years. I use the word ideology, as Feminism unfortunately does not yet hold a quintessential place within modern societal norms. Photography as one of these media outlets, and one very close to my heart, has become an instrument through which the Romanticised image of woman can finally portray festivities of feminism as well as femininity. Francesca Woodman was a striking photographer who has always remained on my radar- a beautiful woman whose inner turmoil and intelligence sent her to her demise, yet during her shortened career, she was able to portray with conviction, the concept of hiding herself in plain sight. Her monochromatic self-portraits utilised rustic yet fam...
Culture & Literature, Visual Arts

Anselm Kiefer and the Pornography of Art

It doesn’t take much stimulus for me to assimilate a passion about art, whether I’m revelling or critiquing, given the material I will go on until I’ve either inspired someone or angered them. It was only the other week that I found myself in a heated (and drunken admittedly) discussion with an older friend over an exhibition which I had just attended. Anselm Kiefer at the Royal Academy is absolutely spectacular. I hadn’t previously expected to connect to the extent at which I did with his love of books and mythology, and how they play a pivotal role in many of Kiefers pieces. However, he expresses the ability to carry us down to earth by combining the celestial with the realities, of the Second World War for example, a subject portrayed through many of his early works and indeed percol...