Hello, my name is Marie Hawkins and I am an Explorer Volunteer for the Art and Science of Exploration exhibition.
Part of being an Explorer Volunteer is interacting with the visitors and finding out what they think about the exhibition. I’d love to know people’s thoughts on exploration and what it means to them, for example:
- How else have voyages been documented historically?
- What do you think the role is today of artists on expeditions?
- Who do you think these paintings were made for and why?
- Why are these paintings important to Britain?
Visitors provide thoughtful, intelligent responses and have really taken with the photograph experiment the museum is trying out.
I find myself continually surprised and intrigued by the answers given, some of them telling me things I never knew. Both the photographs and interviews allow visitors to communicate their own knowledge in a way they might not be able to do in a similar setting, while also making them think about the wider context of exploration in relation to the past and present.
To get us started we’d love to know what exploration means to you. You can join the conversation online using #TravellersTails or add a comment to this blog.
Blogpost by Marie Hawkins, Explorer Volunteer