Even Walls Have Eyes
Following successful exhibitions in 2024, The Two Ians are becoming well known for creating alternative gallery experiences in the town. For Coastal Currents 2025, Hastings History House is transformed from a traditional archive centre into an immersive art gallery as The Two Ians curate a series of creative responses to Hastings’ fascinating past.
Ian Shillito, Crock-A-Nore (shards of Victorian pottery eroding from the Rock-a-Nore cliffs, used by residents here 100 years ago
This historical art exhibition, intriguingly titled Walls Have Eyes, will feature new work by The Two Ians (Shillito and Skelton) but also include nine local artists with a range of ages, backgrounds and lived experiences.
Both Ians agree: “We feel the History House is a great venue for one of our alternative gallery projects. Maintained by a committed core of local volunteers, the building is a characterful, old world archive centre which deserves a wider audience. Walls Have Eyes also hopes to highlight how the visual arts and its creative process can inform Hastings inhabitants about their town’s fascinating past”.
Ian Shillito says “Walls Have Eyes plays with the notion what if walls could talk … or better still see? It supports a theory that walls or buildings retain energy from the past and can be released like an echo or reply. It also poses the question, if we could tap into it, what would we learn about the past and ourselves?
Ian Skelton feels that “A fundamental part of our projects is in creating opportunities for artists who have had minimal to no experience exhibiting publicly in a bid to increase inclusivity and widen the artistic pool in the town”. Consequently, contributors to this project are retired, at university, attendees from Art in the Park and professionals who create art in their downtime.“
Alongside the Two Ians, featured artists include Emma Harding, Luciana Haill, Pete Smith, Jane Fryers, Thom Collett, Luke Garvey, Emma La Faye, Shon, Lara Vaney, and Louisa Sealand. History usually relies on written and oral sources to help us understand the past. These artists’ creative interpretations will show there are other ways to be informed. Walls Have Eyes will build on the welcome trend that has seen many of our country’s heritage houses and tourist attractions beginning to use artistic and theatrical conventions to make history more accessible.
coastalcurrents.org.uk/walls-have-eyes. This exhibition will be running as part of this year’s Coastal Currents Weekend, on Saturday and Sunday, 30 and 31 August, Saturday and Sunday , 6 and 7 Sept
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