When I was 14, I found myself being dragged from my weekend spot of Westfield Shopping Centre, frozen frappucino and Topshop bag still in hand, to an Open House event at the Government Art Collection. Headphones still on while listening to Britney, I caught half of what my parents were radiantly explaining to me in the car....I’ll be totally honest - as always with you - I was not thrilled!

‘I’ll be with you in the squeezing of a lemon’ Elizabeth David tells readers of her beginners’ cookbook from the 60’s as they navigate simple dishes. Maybe I have my head in a bit of theVOV tunnel vision, but naturally, I related this to what we are all so proud to have created…

I remember the first time I saw a Keith Haring painting. I was in Tate Liverpool and I will never forget how Haring told stories of the Aids crisis, his sexuality, and political oppression through his work in graphics and thick black lines. That to me is a kind of message of hope in itself, simple graphics in bright oranges, aqua blue, pinks and yellow uncovering far from simple emotions.

Whether as a consequence of our times or sheer coincidence, I’ve noticed that each exhibition the curators decided to revive, have the thematic heartbeat of community and connection beating through them all.

I’ve been busy letting my mind wander to my dream exhibition on theVOV, composed of 15 artworks, 1 from each exhibition, with the binding theme of community and connection that I spoke about in my last blog post. I’ve spent so much time with these exhibitions, nearly a year, and I want to share with you my impossible gallery.

So here’s what I would do…

I was on a call with Emma Gillespie, Curator at National Galleries Scotland, reviewing their space and digitally hanging Hanna Tuulikki’s artwork.

We got to chatting about the importance of context for an artwork, and how its surroundings can completely revive the meaning, the expression, and even sometimes the colours (J.M.W Turner’s paintings really come alive when hung on a light blue or plum purple wall)…

Every morning, quite methodically, I drag myself out of bed put a coat on and take myself for a walk, waking up only as I put one foot in front of the other. Seeing the world empty, for a moment, full of stillness is a curious thing. And then I get to the pond, and a chaotic calm ensues, with the ducks and geese squawking at each other and the swans gliding seamlessly through the water, seemingly unbothered...

I saw that Nasa launched a tiny helicopter on Mars this week. It got me thinking about dreams made into reality with tech, and primarily how it is time to make friends with tech as we go head-first, head strong into the phygital era…

Twas the night before theVOV launch, when all through the museums, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

We took one last look at the past, took one look at our covid mask covered faces, and leapt into the phygital future together, hand in digital hand…

This week I spoke to Bradley, one of the 689 million Tik Tok users who has amassed over 600k views on some singular posts. We chatted about how social media is less a window into narcissistic projection, and is more now a space for community-building and empowerment, where an individual is an active part of this ecosystem.

I introduced theVOV to him and somehow, a the streams of discussion, from social media to art and back again, found their place in our online platform…

This week, I have chosen two artworks…

What are the artworks up to when we aren’t there?

Do the figures talk to each other? do they gossip? do they laugh?

Do they meet up for coffee like old friends?

Do they miss being looked at by gaggles of school children and a tired teacher?…

This week, I’ve chosen my favourite two panels from Jenny Holzer’s Inflammatory Essays: 25 Works, circa 1979-82.

I love that they are printed in caps lock, it makes me feel like she is shouting love at me.

‘It is strange, to be afraid of someone you love’, said Louis Vuitton’s Creative Director, Nicholas Ghesquière HERE.

As the Marie-Antoinette-inspired actors peered over Louis Vuitton’s A/W 2020 women’s collection, they saw the last fashion show before Covid hit and lockdown measures were introduced. This quote from Ghesquière is I think the most accurate - hit me where it hurts - wrapped up in everything - sentiment I have heard about this past year.

The 1064th reason as to why and how art can change the world came to me when I listened into the CLiC event. 

I went in, eager to hear from speakers about how funding models have changed over the past year. Candida Gertler OBE, Co-Director of Outset, represented theVOV. We obviously had a lot to say.

I remember the first time I saw their work in Tate Modern, I was outraged. When you’re young, you can’t believe that people know these facts and do nothing about it. Guerrilla girls today remind me to be shocked, to be outraged, to drive the change I yearn to see, and to never settle…

When John Berger said ‘we see these paintings as no one has ever seen them before’, he became endlessly right. I can look at the same artwork every single day, and every single day I will see something different. I will see something different because my lived experience will change how I view the world…

How often have you heard this disillusioned and desultory response that is accompanied by a shrug that just screams ‘i give up’.

Any sense of normalcy left the group chat long ago. I reckon it’s time for us to stop clinging onto a hope of a return to a world that was not that great to begin with. Why would you want to return to what was ‘normal’?…

In honour of International Women’s Day today, I asked the team what they will choose to challenge to create a gender equal world.

There is more carbon dioxide in our atmosphere than in any time in history.

The world’s tropical forests are shrinking at a staggering rate, the equivalent of 30 football pitches per minute.

Most urban areas in the UK hav e had illegal levels of NO2 since 2010

100 fossil fuel companies are responsible for 71% of global emissions

Over 50 percent of the world's coral reefs have died in the last 30 years and up to 90 percent may die within the next century

Are you up in arms? Depressed? Angry? I sure am.