HumanKind by RCMG / National Trust
Client National Trust
Year 2019
Role art direction and animation
Team Tom Butler, Julie Howell (narrative and creative design, research), James Jones (sound design), Anna Lincoln (graphic design)
Image Credits National Trust Images / Rod Kirkpatrick, Lea Nagano
The exhibition 'HumanKind' explores the stories of six characters from Calke Abbey Estate and the topic of 'loneliness' and 'isolation'. It gives the visitor an immersive experience to explore the apartments within the house to reflect on the topic through spatial, graphical and media installations.
I contributed two media installations, that tell about the relationship of mother Lady Crewe and son Vauncy and 'the Isolated Baronet' Sir Henry Harpur.
Lady Crewe was described as lonely and isolated based on a single diary entry, but research into archives revealed that she had deep relationships with her family and others. The installation visualised the crocuses that her son Vauncy planted for her together with a treee that stands for rooted family connections and nurture of parent and child. This was inspired by their love for nature.
The 'Isolated Baronet' was gossiped about his shyness and unique interests as far as people described him as suffering a 'disease of mind'. He is an example of how lack of care and understandings can led to a social stigma built around a person.He was indeed a curious and creative mind that is revealed and staged in an animation that is projection mapped onto a canvas with a golden frame that complements the interior of his room.
