I like how unpretentious this exhibition is; it is not in the big fancy museums, rather it is in an unassuming location in South Kensington (apt) and the space in contorted into different rooms through arches which is possibly on purpose so you can do that thing where you see pictures in angles, and on vibrantly coloured walls so the pictures stand out. Even more than they would typically in a “traditional” museum. It is an exhibition that does not take itself too seriously, a good day out for you and some friends, children are welcome too. Sit in the cinema for a short movie on how they shot some of their more iconic shots. It is unfussy, which makes the images sing! A literal symphonic journey through time that is likely to spark the travel bug as you traverse the pastel colours space of over 200 photographs of visual stimulation.
Started on Instagram by couple, Wally and Amanda from their apartment in Brooklyn, documenting their travel bucket list, the scenes set amidst bold colours, will incite some wanderlust bug in you, making you want to see the world and its far flung places. It is as you would expect it to be, judging by the Instagram page, it is literally the Instagram page brought to life. What exhibitions like this do is awaken our senses, visual and otherwise to the depth of the world, its vastness, and entices a curiosity of the people therein, seeing the world outside of your four walls and windows. It helps that it is unpretentious and makes travel attainable, it helps that it puts us on an even keel, because it feels possible; this after all took off on Instagram.
The rooms span the spaces, a curvaceous maze with some text, featuring images we have come to know and love, whether it’s a fishing boat set amidst the deep blue sea in New Zeeland, the way-out signage in Chalk Farm tube station and a brief history, the iconic yellow carriage of the Slovenian railway and even more iconic the Hotel Opera in Prague, its Eastern neighbour; New Zealand, London, Slovenia and Prague… but there’s more, so much more. And that’s the story here.The world is vast and bright and this beckons on us to go out there and explore.