A group from the Library team were treated to a trip to London to celebrate our award-winning Zine Collection. We visited the London College of Communications to explore their amazing collection of vintage zines, and then were allowed to choose an exhibition of our own to visit.
Jemima chose ‘Rebel – 30 Years of London Fashion‘ at the Design Museum, London. (REBEL: 30 Years of London Fashion – Design Museum # RebelFashion)
This exhibition celebrates 30 years of the British Fashion Council’s NEWGEN programme, which supports new design talent. Guest-curated by BFC Ambassador for Emerging Talent Sarah Mower MBE and co-curated by Design Museum Senior Curator Rebecca Lewin, the exhibition showed many outfits which have garnered attention throughout the last three decades, such as Bjork’s swan dress from 2001 and Sam Smith’s inflatable latex suit from 2023’s BRIT awards. Items such as the sketchbooks, accessories, and the design process were shown alongside the clothes. Nearly 100 innovative fashion designs were included, from names such as JW Anderson, Wales Bonner, Erdem, Molly Goddard, Christopher Kane, Simone Rocha, Russell Sage, and many more. There were also interactive experiences such as backstage virtual make-up mirrors to get an idea of the culture behind the scenes at a fashion show, and video of the original catwalk shows, complete with music to transport you back in time to the turn of the millennium.
Jocelyn chose ‘Fantasy: Realms Of The Imagination‘ at The British Library
The British Library exhibition explored the beautiful, uncanny and sometimes monstrous makings of fantasy. It celebrated some of the finest fantasy creators, revealing how their imagined lands, languages and creatures came into being. It explored the traditions of a genre that has created some of the most passionate and enduring fandoms. From fairy tales and folklore to the fantastical worlds of Studio Ghibli. I was able to travel through Middle-earth and into the depths of Pan’s Labyrinth. And discover how the oldest forms of literature continue to inspire fantasy authors, filmmakers and game producers today.
Oonagh chose ‘Women in Revolt: Art and Activism in the UK 1970-1990‘ at Tate Britain.
The exhibition presents two decades of art as provocation, protest and progress. Taking the 1970 National Women’s Liberation Conference as it’s starting point, the exhibition explores the relationship between art and the women’s movement in the UK. It rings together women who made art about their lives and the inequalities that informed them, acknowledging that the personal is political.
There were over 100 artists represented and the exhibition follows the footsteps of the artists, historians and archivists who have safeguarded their history. Art historians Rozsika Parker and Griselda Pollock published ‘Framing Feminisim‘ in 1985 which introduces the reader to art and the women’s movement in the UK.
Overall, the trip was a fantastic opportunity to network with library professionals and to take advantage of the amazing experiences London has to offer.