In May 2022, our Young Critics from Brinsworth Academy’s Writing Club visited Not Without My Ghosts: The Artist As Medium, an exhibition of art inspired by spiritualism and the paranormal at Millennium Gallery. For most of the group, it was their first time at this gallery. Graham from Sheffield Museums gave the Young Critics an intro to the gallery and answered their questions about the kinds of things that happen here. Read on for their responses to the exhibition!
Grace
When I walked into the gallery, all I could see was light pink walls with frames hanging from them. As I inspected the area in more detail, I could see the clear theme of supernatural experiences being presented through art. I was pleasantly surprised with the calm atmosphere that the room held – you expect to see or feel extreme supernatural things, but this wasn’t the case. You only see art linked to the supernatural and I liked that you could truly take in the artwork without the feeling of unease.
In the centre of the room was an abstract textile piece that was interpreted differently by everyone. This brought the room to life and created textures that you would expect to see in a gallery. I enjoyed how supernatural life was presented throughout the room and how different artists expressed their own experiences with other types of consciousness.
While some artworks were intriguing and hypnotising to look at, some were not to my personal liking. They lacked the supernatural element I was looking for and were too simple to be taken seriously. I wanted to see more interactive art installations but the only one I could see was the talking owl.
I wanted to connect more. Some artworks made me feel like some other presence was there while others made no sense to me. But even though I didn’t connect with them, I still felt like the whole gallery was worth it and would recommended you go and explore the different styles of art and the supernatural.
