On View: Artwork Observing the 20th Anniversary of Hurricane Ivan
Wednesday, 11 September 2024 will mark the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Ivan – the infamous storm that remains on the list of the 10 Most Extreme Atlantic Hurricane Seasons in the Satellite Era. To observe the date, the National Gallery of the Cayman Islands (NGCI) has highlighted works engaging with Ivan in the National Collection exhibition, The Ties That Bind: A Journey Through the National Collection. Included in this selection are works by artists Gretchen Allen, Pippa Ridley and Karoly Szucs, which have been featured in past exhibitions dedicated to exploring the experiences, responses, and impact of Ivan.
Writer and photographer Gretchen Allen returned home in the immediate aftermath of Ivan to find her worldly possessions submerged in the floodwaters of the storm, among them her extensive photographic archive collection. Allen packed away these photographs and only when ready to revisit the marks Ivan left behind did she discover the bold creations. This archive became art through transformation, as the film slides damaged by exposure and salt water unintentionally created beautiful abstractions. Entitled Through Ivan’s Eye, Gretchen’s work reflects the experience of many who lost precious memories contained in photographs and possessions. The full assortment of images was displayed in a solo NGCI exhibition named after the series in 2018.
Pippa Ridley’s Ceci n’est Pas un Investissement (This is not an Investment) is a mixed media work directly commenting on the devastation of Ivan. It depicts the destruction of the artist’s home and expresses post-Ivan economic concerns referenced in the stock exchange and financial newspaper cuttings included on the surface of the painting. Many people experienced the social and economic impacts of Ivan, and twenty years on, we can still see the results of the resilience and determination of the Caymanian people who in the face of overwhelming adversity, came together and built back up our community.
Karoly Szücs sculpture That Morning was the opening piece in the NGCI exhibition Emergence in 2005. Objects that the artist found when walking through the wreckage left behind by the storm – electricity and water meters, a broken mug, and a clock – were incorporated within the structure of corroded iron. The seemingly random assortment of objects placed together prompt the curiosity of whom they belonged to and represent the complete upheaval of normality in the emotional and material sense. Emergence was an exhibition dedicated to providing a platform for artists to harness the therapeutic qualities of art, encouraging them to process and respond to the effects of the disaster.
As an educational space, NGCI is dedicated to offering inclusive and accessible education through the visual arts. Exhibitions cover various themes and media, teaching students and adults how to interpret art and connects them to traditional Caymanian cultural heritage. Tour guides also demonstrate how art in all its forms can link with other curriculum subjects, and with their own experiences. The artworks highlighted in remembrance of Ivan prompt discussion on themes of environmental sustainability, climate action, and biodiversity.