Previous art exhibitions

Design and Engineering Exhibition: 1 - 28 March 2025

• Exploring the creativity and technical skills of our final-year Product Design and Design Engineering students as they showcased their innovative final-year projects. From new product concepts to engineering solutions, this exhibition highlighted their dedication and expertise.
• The exhibition also featured work from Mechanical Engineering students competing in the IMechE Challenge, demonstrating their problem-solving abilities and practical engineering knowledge.

Postgraduate Research Showcase: 3 - 28 February 2025

• A showcase of recent postgraduate research taking place at BU. The posters were presented as part of the Doctoral College 16th Annual Postgraduate Research Conference. You can view a virtual exhibition of the posters online. 

The hands that feed us: 28 November 2024 - 28 January 2025

This environmental photography exhibition highlighted and celebrated the positive contributions migrants and refugees make to society and to Bournemouth in particular. It aimed to counter the negative rhetoric and connotations that have been created around terms/labels such as ‘refugee’ and ‘migrant’ and show the everyday, hardworking human beings just trying to get through life like everybody else. The exhibition was part of The Artist as Public Intellectual: Bringing Rememory and Sankofa to Imagined Futures of Ethical Transnational Media Collaborations.

We are an EcoCampus: 4 November - 20 December 2024

The exhibition displayed some of the projects and initiatives that BU are doing to support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs):

• Including information about our innovative Cup Exchange Scheme and our Refill Campus status, both of which are part of our broader objective to eliminate single-use plastic from our campuses
• The recent installation of the new Cycle Hub as part of our Gold Standard Cycle Friendly Employer status, which is designed to make cycling easier and more accessible for BU students, staff, and visitors
• How we switched Dorset House to low-carbon heating using air source heat pumps, which will create a net carbon saving of 64.4 tCO2e per year
• And some of the amazing projects being done by our students and academics across the university.

RNLI exhibition - Lifesaving advertising campaigns: 1 - 31 August 2024

• With the support of the RNLI Heritage & Water Safety teams, BU advertising academics curated a fascinating collection of advertisements spanning decades. Highlighting the evolution of RNLI's lifesaving advertising campaigns across the last 200 years and exploring the future of water safety messaging. 
• The exhibition showcased the evolution of RNLI's advertising focus towards educating the public on water safety. Modern campaigns such a Float to Live emphasising vital messages such as avoiding rip currents and staying afloat in emergencies, were vividly brought to life through audio-visual displays. The display also included innovative advertising concepts from BA (Hons) Advertising and BA (Hons) Animation undergraduates. These potential future RNLI campaigns were designed to resonate with young audiences, promoting safer swimming practices and better water safety decisions.

Postgraduate Production Week at Upton House Country Park: 11 June - 31 July 2024

• Students from the BU Postgraduate Media Production Framework recently collaborated to create a series of short films over a five day period. Filming took place on location in the house and grounds of Upton House Country Park, Poole, Dorset. The exhibition included photographs from the supervised film production event.

Sustainability in Action: 4 June - 19 July 2024

• This exhibition displayed a selection of artwork created by BU students and staff from the 'Connecting with Nature' art competition. With posters produced by MA Advertising students to encourage sustainable behaviours, Bournemouth University Business School's research into inclusivity in sport, and an innovative science-based training method called Climate Fresk. All demonstrating the strong links across the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Talbot Voices: 29 May - 6 June 2024

• This collaborative community project explored the history of Talbot Village through the memories, recollections and voices of local people. Final year BA History students at BU were involved in putting together the exhibition as part of their Graduate Showcase. Find out more about the project on the Talbot Village Trust website.

Faces of Faith: 2 April - 17 May 2024

• A student-led project, supported by the Faith & Reflection team, focusing on documenting the variety of people who use the Faith & Reflection centre in BU. Brought together in a photographic exhibition demonstrating how everyone is connected in the space.

Seeking Meaning in Diagnosis: 4 - 28 March 2024

• A photo exhibition on nature and examining the concept of diagnosis, by Sarah Clark, BU MSc in Clinical & Developmental Neuropsychology student. The exhibition was born out of her interest in the diagnostic journey, and her personal experience of trauma from the medical system and the harm caused by delayed and missed diagnosis. Raising awareness of late-diagnosed autism and Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) and providing examples of ways to de-stress through photography and creativity and improve wellbeing by connecting to nature.
• Sarah was diagnosed with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (a rarely diagnosed genetic connective tissue disorder) in February 2020. This diagnosis came after fifteen years of physical symptoms which were misdiagnosed as Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder. She has a rare condition called Median arcuate ligament syndrome and is studying for her Masters on a liquid-only diet, unable to eat food. Sarah was diagnosed with autism in May 2022. She currently teaches healthcare professionals in a few roles and works as a patient expert in the EDS International Consortium, Psychiatric and Psychological Aspects Working Group besides studying towards her Masters. 

The Sanctuary: 26 February - 30 April 2024

• The Sanctuary was formed in March 2023 by a group of voluntary BU students, staff and members of the general public to reinvigorate the polytunnel (behind Kimmeridge House) and the Christchurch House courtyard. Through a combination of ancient craft activities (spinning wool, woodworking, leatherworking, making ancient pigments, dyeing using natural dyes from the plants that we have grown) and creating 'historical' plant beds within the courtyard - the Roman Kitchen Garden, the Medieval Physic Garden and the Neolithic Landscape.
• The exhibition display included posters describing the processes the group have used to establish these areas on campus. Along with tools, equipment and plants used in these activities.

Postgraduate Research Showcase - Poster Exhibition: 3 January - 23 February 2024

• A showcase of recent postgraduate research taking place at BU. The posters were presented as part of the Doctoral College 15th Annual Postgraduate Research Conference. You can view a virtual exhibition online of the posters. 

Jane Goodall Institute Roots & Shoots exhibition: 3 July - 31 August 2023

• Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots programme is about making positive change happen – for our communities, for animals and for the environment. With tens of thousands of young people in over 60 countries, the Roots & Shoots network branches out across the globe, connecting youth of all ages who share a common desire to help make our world a better place. This powerful, youth-driven network fosters a fun, flexible and supportive environment where young people come together to share ideas and inspiration, implement successful community service projects and participate in special events and international campaigns
• BU teamed up with a local primary school to run a series of activities including creating a wildlife pond, and were awarded two bronze and one silver award. The display at our Atrium Gallery was originally used at the events ceremony at the Barbican in London. Find out more about our partnership with St Luke's School.

Biodiversity: Art exhibition by Can Chen - 22 June - 15 September 2023

• This exhibition showcased illustrations and prints of 10-20 species of flora and fauna that are either extinct or endangered, the selection of species included the long-extinct quagga, the Laysan rail bird, and the threatened Ili pika in the northwest region of China. Aiming to raise awareness among individuals regarding the importance of protecting the environment and the animals that inhabit it
• The ecological diversity of life is the equilibrium among various species in an ecosystem, which is not merely a scientific term but also what makes our planet so lively and colourful. However, human activities have led to the loss of biodiversity and the extinction of many species. Since the “Declaration on the Human Environment” was signed by the United Nations along with participating countries in 1972, the world has made an effort in protecting biodiversity. It is every individual's responsibility to promote sustainable living practices that can help preserve the ecological diversity of our planet and make a positive contribution towards protecting the richness of the ecosystem
• Can Chen from China Customs Museum is an academic researcher at Bournemouth University and designed the Biodiversity series illustration about extinct animals. This exhibition was also selected by the Boomer Gallery, London, in March 2023.

Art @Archaeology: Process and Revelation - a Visual Dialogue: 20 March - 21 April 2023

• This research and resulting series of works developed from a collaboration between Alison Summers Bell and BU’s Department of Archaeology & Anthropology Field School on the Durotriges dig in Dorset. Often using materials excavated from the site, Alison recorded and interpreted the experience of this Iron Age dig using methodologies embedded in painting and mark making
• Alison approached this collaboration as fieldwork, using the language of science and art in an interchangeable way in the search for a dialect that crosses over the disciplines. Her work appropriates archaeological methodologies and academic language from site digs to inform her practice. Like many archaeological ideas Alison’s work does not make suppositions or search for a quick aesthetic outcome, rather it tries to go through the same rigorous exposing of layers of meaning through excavation
• Visit the website for more information about The Durotriges Project

Regenerating Bournemouth High Street: A Fusion Business Projects Approach: 6 February - 7 April 2023

• Academic posters developed by students on the BU Business School Foundation Year, focused on their consultancy project work in the unit Fusion Business Projects
• The posters identified the student's plans for conducting consultancy projects, gathering data from a range of stakeholders, in order to develop recommendations for the best use of Bournemouth high street, as we seek to encourage a renewed use of the space.

Wish You Were Here: 9 January - 10 March 2023

• This interactive exhibit centred around storytelling and in particular, exploring stories of life in Bournemouth through a playful and light-hearted lens. Connecting people via the stories we share and the places that link us together. 
• Wish You Were Here showcased the catharsis of storytelling and invited the audience to echo the sentiment by sharing their own stories in the gallery. Allowing people to describe fond memories, shared secrets, or recall best-loved tales, via postcards which were then hung up in the gallery to be read by others.

Celebrating 100 Years of the BBC: 14 October - 23 December 2022

• BU celebrated 100 years of the BBC through familiar and not so familiar objects used in BBC programmes and content. From bizarre looking components of the first ever public broadcast transmitter "2LO", to very recent BBC IDs belonging to BU staff.
• Find out more about how BU is celebrating the centenary of the BBC and our work in the creative industries.

SportBU Atrium Gallery Takeover: 5 – 30 September 2022

• SportBU took over the Atrium Gallery to celebrate everything TeamBU and recognise the support the service provides for our students. 
• The interactive exhibition provided the opportunity to learn about how SportBU is contributing to the sustainable goals at BU, the different ways to get involved with SportBU, the Varsity victories over the last five years, and a sneak peek at BU’s new TeamBU kit. 

The Dreamer: 22 April - 10 June 2022

• The exhibition showcased portraits of children taken by Milena Przytula over the past two years. During this very difficult time for us all, Milena captured a series of beautiful and unique photographs, and aimed to inspire all visitors to dream big and support children with their goals and visions. 
• Both Milena and the children were actively involved in the creative process. Most of the photographs were captured spontaneously, but Milena helped to create an amazing and magical scenery using local, natural places, such as Sandbank beach, Hengistbury Head and Poole Harbour.

All Roads Lead To... : 19 April - 17 June 2022

• MA student in film directing at BU, Danish Mai Hedvig Lyngby, exhibited a collection of mixed media collages as a creative expression and a commentary on the feminist contemporary journey of the current day. The collages include images from the 50s film world, film illustrations from the 60s and 70s, gay imagery, comic books, as well as fashion and music magazines, amongst other media.
• The collages show how graphic female art can be and often is, and, more importantly, they comment on the modern brave and bold woman-image in relation to themes such as expectations, lust, suppressed needs and liberation. This is expressed through visual parallels to the sexual and feminist battle that has moved forwards in the recent years because of social media, and movements like #MeToo.

What if you just leave it? Rewilding Unwrapped​ - photography exhibition: 10 January - 25 March 2022

• This exhibition, by nature conservationist Sam Rose, explored rewilding in the UK, showcasing the animals that are the ‘ecosystem engineers’ and make rewilding happen, the people who choose to rewild, and the landscapes that result from rewilding. The work was all undertaken over the last two years as part of a Masters Degree in Photography at the neighbouring Arts University Bournemouth. Case studies were undertaken as far afield as Glenfeshie in Scotland and the Lizard in Cornwall, and the Knepp Wildlands in West Sussex, the subject of the 2019 bestselling book ‘Wilding’ by Isabella Tree. 
• Sam says “I hope that this exhibition inspired people to find out a bit more about rewilding, what it means and why it is so important for us all. It is all about letting go and allowing nature to take the lead in restoring damaged ecosystems, and about the people who have the courage to do that. It is amazing and beautiful to see what happens when nature is allowed to thrive.”
• The exhibition is accompanied by a website: whatifyoujustleaveit.info and a podcast also called “What if you just leave it?” available on most podcast platforms. It is gratefully supported in part by Heal Rewilding and the Fine Family Foundation, and created in collaboration with the Arts University Bournemouth and Bournemouth University. For further information about rewilding, visit www.rewildingbritain.org.uk

Lost & Found - Art Exhibition by Kata Papp: 20 September - 17 December 2021

• Kata graduated in Hungary as a scenery and costume designer in 2011, and as textile designer and tailor in 2013, before moving to the UK at the beginning of 2019. Feeling that she is in the right place has inspired and motivated her to produce 'Lost & Found'; capturing a colourful world in a surrealistic way.  
• Kata mainly uses acrylic on canvas, prefering to recycle rather than buy new, she upcycles old/ broken frames and creates new artwork on the canvases. She enjoys how her artwork inspires different feelings and meanings from the audience. 

Asking For It - Photography Exhibition by Jayne Jackson: 12 August - 17 December 2021

• An intriguing art project of 14 images to highlight and change opinions towards historical and current tendencies toward victim blaming, especially in cases of sexual and gender based violence. This project, by photographer Jayne Jackson, has been developed alongside and supported by the charity STARS (Sexual Trauma and Recovery Services) and Bournemouth University's Dr Peter Arabaci Hills and Jamie Fletcher. 
• The exhibition features a timeline of mug shot images from 1900 to the present day depicting a variety of portraits. Each 'mug shot' image has been carefully styled and made to represent a different decade. It uses actors, costume, make-up and heritage photographic methods, including wet plate collodian, to take the viewer on a remarkably authentic journey through history. Each image contains a 'crime' such as 'wore red' or 'swiped right', which viewers are invited to question. 
• The project can also be followed on Twitter: @consent_aware and Instagram: @jaynejacksonphotography or visit Jayne's website www.jaynejacksonphotography.co.uk/asking-for-it.

Forgotten Heroes - Human Traces of Nelson’s Navy Uncovered: 10 May - 30 July 2021

• In 2007, over 150 graves were discovered in the grounds of Athenaeum Place, a former car showroom in Plymouth. The site had formerly been a graveyard linked to the 18th century Royal Naval Hospital: Stonehouse, which lies about a mile from the excavation site.
• This rare discovery gives us valuable insight into the 18th century Navy when Admiral Horatio Nelson commanded the British fleet. Britain was frequently at war during this period; including the Seven Years War (1756-1763), the American war of Independence (1775-1783), the war with the French Republic (1783-1801), the Napoleonic Wars (1805-1815) and the Anglo-American War (1812-1815). It was arguably the time when the Royal Navy held the greatest importance in the British national story. 
• The exhibition presented the remains of a selection of the individuals whose graves were discovered which together give us a range of insights into the lives of these men and boys who ultimately died serving their country. 

Jumping in - Transgender and non-binary swimming LGBT+ art exhibition: 6 January - 31 August 2021

• This LGBT+ art exhibition related how a Bournemouth-based transgender social group participated in swimming, a physical activity that can be daunting because of the display of the body. Swimming and aquatic activity have positive mental and physical health benefits (Swim England, 2017). And yet, physical activity and sport can be unwelcoming to LGBT+ participants.
• A Pride Sports study in 2016 showed that homophobic and transphobic language, and the acceptance of homophobic and transphobic banter continue to pervade physical activity and sport environments. The exhibition’s artwork showed Communi-T members’ positive and negative experiences of swimming and aquatic activity. Curated by Jayne Caudwell. The exhibition materials and the swim sessions were funded by Leisure Studies Association.

Homefront: 9 November 2020 - 14 April 2021

• By award-winning social action photographer Jayne Jackson. This collaborative project explored how female lives have been changed by events in 2020, particularly in terms of work/home situations, mental health and general wellbeing.
• Each person was photographed in a way that they feel represented their unique experience, from a ‘homefront/post war’ perspective. Each image was styled as a 1940s/50s slightly satirical, yet empowered/uplifting image, with interviews about life before, during and after lockdown.
• As a body of work, it touched upon specific issues like giving birth during lockdown, home schooling, running a business, health and fitness, cooking etc, but also a variety of general feminist issues. These included the disproportionate amount of unpaid work done by women, such as childcare and caring for other relatives, as well as the 75% of part-time workforce being occupied by females, many running small businesses and often combining this with childcare. Some personal stories reflected on issues such as domestic violence and bereavement.

Flock!: 6 January – 28 February 2020    

• The Flock! exhibition, curated by Dr Kirsten Hardie, explored the diverse and dynamic uses of flock across a range of contexts including interior design, fashion, publishing and packaging design. It is an important surface treatment described as short monofilament fibres applied to adhesive coated surfaces. Flock is widely used in a variety of different contexts and it has a number of key qualities and benefits that make it enduring and endearing. 
• The exhibition showcased some wonderful examples of flock designs – including: wallpaper and wallcovering designs from leading companies such as Cole and Son, Romo, Graham and Brown and designer Barbara Hulanicki. Exhibits also include Flotex floorcoverings by Forbo; books including the DK Braille Animals book (2016) and the Interiors: The Greatest Rooms of the Century by Phaidon (2019); greetings cards, fashion items, jewellery; kitsch; and wider design examples.

The Wild in Wild Places: 6 January - 27 March 2020

• This exhibition by self-taught artist, DL, who prefers to paint anonymously and took up art as an antidote to academic life a few years ago. DL works mainly in acrylics and watercolour and has also under taken installations in wood and stone. 
• The collection of paintings consisted of a selection of work, some digital, completed using the freeware Krita, and some in more traditional media. The digital images have a cinematic style reminiscent of the 1950s and feature British and Arctic landscapes. Penguins feature throughout DL’s work, as do climbing motifs and solitary figures. BU has a long tradition in digital art and in environmental science which this exhibit celebrates, while drawing attention to fragility of wild places, of human endeavour within them and the need to conserve untamed landscapes.

Breastfeed - Portraits with Purpose: 9 - 27 March 2020

• The exhibition was the product of a programme by Leanne Pearce Billinghurst to help celebrate and normalise breastfeeding in communities with low breastfeeding rates. It was also part of a wider programme of free events and talks at BU. The programme served to explore various aspects of breast feeding, especially in British Society. Alongside a booklet about breastfeeding and the journeys of a broad cross section of mothers. To find out more visit www.leannepearce.co.uk. 
• The collection of artworks has been exhibited in community venues and galleries across the country to stimulate discussions about various aspects of breastfeeding, explore different perspectives and inform and educate the British public about the benefits of breastfeeding. The participants involved showcased the empowerment and celebration that breastfeeding was for them.
• In association with the Faculty of Health & Social Sciences at Bournemouth University:
  Dr Minesh Khashu, Consultant Neonatologist/Prof. of Perinatal Health HSS
  Edwin van Teijlingen, Professor Of Reproductive Health, HSS
  Dr Alison Taylor, Programme Lead for Midwifery, ​Senior Lecturer in Midwifery & Infant Feeding Lead, HSS

31 Days of Black Excellence: 1 - 31 October 2020

• Now more than ever, Black History Month is pivotal to push for equality, representation and decolonisation. The Black Lives Matter protests are unwavering in their dedication to change and have become a vital element for a fair and equal future. In order to learn more about the achievements and accomplishments of black people throughout the years SUBU ran an interactive installation called 31 Days of Black Excellence. Every day a new face was added to the wall to celebrate their achievements. 
• BHM isn't about just discussing the hardships that black people have had to face. It's about celebrating all that comes with who we have been blessed to be. Acknowledging black is beautiful and more than a struggle.

In/visible Margins: 5 December 2018 - 28 February 2019

• An exhibition created within the Arts & Humanities Research Council International Network e-Voices: Redressing Marginality. A global network of academics and practitioners exploring the theme of marginalisation and how digital media can be used by marginalised groups to make their voices heard within and beyond the borders of their communities and promote social inclusion.
• The exhibition was about Kenyan artists reflecting on marginality, representing marginalised groups and portraying human rights and social challenges. It was first displayed in the Shift-Eye Gallery in Nairobi Kenya.

How Photos Calmed My Busy Mind: January - July 2019

• A display of images and objects shared by BU staff member Barbara Montagna, highlighting her relationship with anxiety and her journey to mindfulness whilst trying to manage its effects. 
• Barbara said about the display: "At some point in our lives, most of us experience some level of anxiety caused by a situation or event. For most people once the issue is resolved, they stop feeling anxious. However for some, feelings of anxiety are more constant, do not go away and can begin to affect daily life. This is me…busy mind, on edge, troubled soul…anxious." 
• "Taking photographs allows me the headspace to escape the muddle in my mind to stop and ‘see’ the world around me. I capture moments in time that make my soul beam. Being shown this mindful way to calm my busy mind, was a lifeline when I was in a very dark place. I invite to you take a peek inside my world, and see all that makes it beautiful."

SHOT19: 6 March - 31 May 2019

• An exhibition of photographs by students on the MA Cinematography for Film and Television programme. 
• On the MA Media Production Framework FMC we are fortunate to have a body of international students from diverse backgrounds with a broad range of filmmaking knowledge and experience. In redesigning the MA Cinematography unit: Camera Image Style and Motion, the teaching team felt it was important to examine the core principles of photography in relation to the moving image. The question was how to engage students with these fundamental principles in an approach that was exciting and relevant whilst acknowledging their filmmaking experience.
• This exhibition represents the culmination of a series of 10 photographic briefs designed as non-assessed formative assignments, encouraging students to engage with these essential photographic skills. Students were asked to ‘think outside the box’ experiment and have fun with these exercises. The results speak for themselves, with students producing challenging and ambitious work, contributing to their cinematography skills and enhancing the visual quality of films produced by the MA Media Production framework.

Research Photography Competition 2019: 11 - 28 March 2019

• ​The annual Research Photography Competition is open to both academics and student researchers who take part by capturing an image relating to their research and this year’s theme was ‘Place’. Students, staff and the general public vote for their favorites in the lead up to the exhibition where a selection of the most popular images are on display. Find out about this year's winners on the BU Research website.

Unheard Voices: 2 April - 23 May 2019

• An exhibition of a wide range of creative artwork reflecting experiences regarding mental health in Dorset through the eyes of those who know it best. Find out more about Dorset healthcare via the Dorset Mental Health Forum or on Twitter. 

TOPIA: 4 - 6 April 2019 

• An audio-visual exhibition exploring the contrast of dystopias and utopias created by Lottie Lashley (BU Film, Media & Communications). Dystopias are often characterized by being run by tyrannical, capitalist governments. Utopias are naturalistic perfect places, the term derives from the Greek words ou (“not”) and topos (“place”) and means simply not a place. The fact that utopias are not achievable was reflected in the project. The project included many factors and made you reflect on your own place in the world.

VAST/O exhibition: 2 - 30 July 2019

• VAST/O aimed to be an exhibition that generated the sensations of paradoxical spatial experiences by combining actual and animated spaces, through static and moving images. The use of comics panels in relation with a specific architectural space and the use of animation not only in its traditional channels, but also by means of augmented reality apps for interaction between viewers and spaces, provided narrative layers that enhanced the engagement of the experience. 
• Curated by Carolina Martins, Natalie Woolf and Alexandra Alberda. This was also a part of Alexandra’s research project, so exhibition guests also had the option to share their stories of experiencing the exhibition for research in a short one-on-one interview. This feedback will be used in her PhD thesis as well as by Carolina in influencing the final exhibition in Portugal at the end of 2019.

Ancient and Remarkable Trees of The New Forest: 5 August - 28 September 2019

• Photographer David Russell exhibited images of a selection of the magnificent trees that can be found deep within the woodlands of The New Forest in Hampshire. These trees are miraculous survivors of centuries of exploitation by our shipbuilding, agricultural and construction activities; they are now under new and increasing threats from climate change, disease and development.   
• The aim of the project is for it to work both as a creative and documentary statement, to increase our appreciation of the woodlands and their importance to us all, to encourage us to see more clearly and look more closely at the trees that we all depend upon and share this beautiful country with.
• The project was funded by The New Forest National Park Authority and is dedicated to the memory of Nick Evans, who was their Senior Policy Officer. His enthusiasm and love for the forest inspired David to undertake this very personal project.

Inner Worlds…go with the flow: 12 August - 18 December 2019

• Wax painting depicting the energies of stories expressed through intuitive tarot, by Sarah a self-taught encaustic artist working with melted coloured beeswax. 
• Encaustic painting is one of the world's oldest art forms, the medium used was prompted by an enquiry into the typical energies of stories expressed through the reading of tarot. The inherent fluidity and meditative quality of the painting style shares this idea of ‘exposing’ and ‘allowing’ the truth of the painted image to reveal itself. The pictures have a life of their own in the way that the wax melts to make an image appear and, a bit like tarot or archetypes, you have to put aside judging what occurs as right or wrong and view the colour and form with a detached perspective before you can recognise what is presenting in the painting.

Landscapes on the Cusp of the Real and the Fantastic: 19 August - 20 December 2019

• Photography by Rehan Zia, exploring the meaning of digital photography in the context of multi-shot and contemporary digital techniques. This exhibition formed part of the artist’s PhD thesis assessment display and was created using multiple exposures; high dynamic range photography using different exposures which has allowed for a greater range of scene tones to be captured.
• Whilst these are photographs of real world environments, the scene details and the look can only be revealed through the camera and cannot be experienced by the naked eye. The tones, colour, exposure and contrast have been enhanced to create a look that lies on the cusp of realism and fantasy and blurs the line between landscape photography and painting. In doing so, the practice explores the meaning of the digital photograph itself in the context of multi-shot photography and contemporary digital photography techniques.
• Rehan Zia is lecturer in Computer Animation and Visual Effects at the National Centre for Computer Animation (NCCA), Bournemouth University. For more information, details and updates visit www.rehanzia.net.

Breaking Ground: Female Archaeologists at Avebury: 28 October - 11 December 2019

• In 2018 this exhibition marked the 100 year anniversary of some women gaining the right to vote in Britain. It brought to light the contributions made by female archaeologists in the twentieth century at Avebury’s Stone Circles & Henge, National Trust World Heritage Site and the wider archaeology field.
• The Breaking Ground exhibition was created by the Alexander Keiller Museum in Avebury who kindly loaned it to the University for display. It was produced in association with the National Trust and TrowelBlazers. Curated by BU's Damian Evans and Bethan Bailey; a selection of objects from the museum’s collection were scanned and 3D printed for the exhibition, part of an MRes project by Bethan Bailey to investigate how archaeological objects can be made accessible to people with mobility difficulties.
• Staff and students in the Department of Archaeology and Anthropology at Bournemouth University have had a long and fruitful association with the Avebury WHS, and worked closely with National Trust staff and with many farmers and landowners who have kindly facilitated surveys and investigations.

SHOT18: MA Cinematography Photo Exhibition: 5 - 9 March 2018

• A photographic exhibition by Faculty of Media & Communication students on the MA Cinematography for Film and Television programme. The exhibition presented images inspired by a series of formative assignments; exploring photographic principles. Students were asked to ‘think outside the box’ experiment and have fun with these exercises. The results speak for themselves, with students producing challenging, ambitious work, further enhancing their cinematography skills. 

 Postgraduate Research Showcase 2018: 12 - 16 March 2018

• This year the Doctoral College hosted its 10th Annual Postgraduate Research Conference. The popular event provides a valuable platform for postgraduate researchers from across different years and disciplines to present posters and photographs explaining their research projects in a clear, concise and creative way to a public audience.
• Presentations are judged by members of the University’s research community and prizes are awarded in three different categories. Further information about the conference and details of the winners is available on The Annual Postgraduate Research Conference webpage.

 Research Photography Competition 2018: 20 - 29 March 2018

• This year marked the fourth year of the annual Research Photography Competition at BU. With 31 submissions received from BU academics, students across all levels and professional services. The photography theme this year was 'people'. This was open to interpretation, with photographers choosing to take an image of their research team, show people who might benefit or be affected by the research or even take a point-of-view shot. 

• Sharing research through photography is a great opportunity to make often complex subjects much more accessible to all. This year over 1,500 people from all over the world voted in the competition, showing the power of images to engage and inspire. The research behind photos this year included areas such as archaeology, dementia and forensic science. Find out more about the winners on the BU Research microsite.

Echoes in Space - An audio visual installation by George Fisher: 5 - 13 April 2018

• In place of a dissertation BA Media Production students were tasked with creating a unique piece of media content of substantial quality and scope. George Fisher directed an installation consisting of space themed audio and visuals; featuring a two minute soundscape for each of the eight planets that reimagines the radio frequencies recorded by NASA’s voyager probes over the past 40 years. These soundscapes featured a mix of the Voyager recordings and George's own original contact microphone recordings, blurring the lines between what is real and what is constructed.
• The soundscapes were played through an audio fader interface allowing the viewer to listen to and/or mix and match the audio as they wish. This was coupled with surreal planetary visuals projected into the space.

SPECTRA - An audio visual installation by Daniel Bell: 17 - 19 April 2018

• BA Media Production student Daniel Bell presented SPECTRA, an interactive audiovisual installation, with an emphasis on sound and colour, creating a sensory experience; an artistic interpretation of the artist's view on the world, and an expression of how they feel we should approach new concepts in life.
• Daniel discovered New Media Art when he studied abroad for a semester at Ryerson University, Toronto. The sound art installation represented the philosophy of exploration the artist has cultivated. To fully explore a concept is to understand it, and to do this one must see every idea, every possibility, as a spectrum.
• SPECTRA focused on the contrast and convergence between the human and natural worlds, how they positively and negatively interact, how they are one of the same yet so distinct from each other; analogous. Amalgamating this with the spectrum of noise - noise can be dissected into frequency bands, which all make up the spectrum of noise, described using colour; pink, red, blue, violet. – the artistic creation allows for both spectrums to work together, to become one. The audience explore the piece to journey through the different spectrums, only able to experience the entirety when all are combined. 

Maps: The New Forest Unfolded: 5 November 2018 - 3 January 2019

• Discover the biography of the New Forest and its people through maps chosen from the Christopher Tower Reference Library.
• These maps of large and small scale, illuminate not only the landscape but the individuals and institutions that shaped the forest as it is today. 

Wrecked at BU: 16 January - 25 February 2017

• An exhibition of the current and past projects of the Marine Archaeology department, showcasing the largely student lead projects and diverse nature of maritime archaeology. The exhibit included 3D models, 3D prints, objects from a number of underwater and intertidal sites and both underwater and aerial footage.

Research Photography Competition 2017: 9 - 22 March 2017

• BU staff and students took part in this year’s Research Photography Competition to convey the impact of their research in a single image. The images give us just a glimpse into some of the fantastic work our researchers are doing. You can find out who won as well as the stories behind the images on the Research Photography Competition website.

The Big Dig: 3 April - 27 May 2017

• The Big Dig is part of the Durotriges Project which is an archaeological investigation studying the transition from the late Iron Age to the early Roman period in southern England.
• The fieldwork takes place at Winterborne Kingston in Dorset, one of the best preserved archaeological landscapes in Britain, by students from the Department of Archaeology, Anthropology & Forensic Science. The Big Dig exhibition displayed artefacts from BU's archaeological excavations from 2009 - 2016. 

Digital Visions - The Garden: 7 - 22 June 2017

• The Digital Visions exhibition was part of BU lecturer Mark Bond's PhD research "Examining the Impact of Emerging Digital Technology on the Craft of the Cinematographer". His practice led research aims to investigate the evolving role of the cinematographer; to understand how the cinematographer’s professional knowledge, craft skills, artistic creativity and responsibilities been influenced by advances in technology and how this affects his/her role as a lead creative in the production of the moving image for film and television.
• The Garden has a distinct significance for each person, drawing on childhood memories of imagined worlds; a place to escape rooted in many culture - in our stories, myths and legends. This exhibition is reflexive and asks questions about the fidelity and permanence of the digital medium and the viewer’s spatiotemporal interactions with the digital visualisation of events. 
• The installation incorporates a short reflective film, shot in the New Forest, complete with associated photographic prints and soundscape. The images explore the destructive processes on trees felled through catastrophic natural phenomena juxtaposed with images of organic decay and decomposition through environmental erosion, fungus and insect attack over time. Perception is challenged, repositioning the viewer to interrogate the different forms of media. The exhibition examines the cinematographic approach to filming in the forest, exploring form and materiality, provoking a dialogue regarding the limitations of a narrative enquiry fixed to a human time scale. 

SHOT17: 15 March - 14 July 2017

• An exhibition of photographs by students on the MA Cinematography for Film and Television programme curated by Mark Bond, Lecturer in Cinematography. The Camera Image Style and Motion unit addressed the core principles of photography in relation to the moving image. The question was how to engage students with these fundamental principles in an approach that was exciting and relevant whilst acknowledging their filmmaking experience.
• The exhibition represented the culmination of a series of 10 photographic briefs designed as non-assessed formative assignments, encouraging students to engage with these essential photographic skills.
• Students were asked to ‘think outside the box’ experiment and have fun with these exercises. The resulting work produced was challenging and ambitious, contributing to their cinematography skills, professional competencies and enhancing the visual quality of films produced by the MAMP framework.

The Complete Freedom of Truth: 8 - 22 July 2017

• The Complete Freedom of Truth is an international youth-led programme with the ambition to develop global youth citizenship through culture and the arts, involving over 600 young people from 12 European countries. TCFT provides creative leadership skills and aims to increase social cohesion and cultural awareness for young people across Europe, including those from disadvantaged social groups. Tolerance, inclusiveness, deeper learning and an understanding of the other is at the heart of the process, which transcends language barriers and creates safe spaces where emancipatory change happens.
• The project held a two-week residency at BU in August 2016 with over 100 young people, artists, activists and facilitators. Activities included workshops, seminars, creative collaboration, cultural exchange and discussions focussing on resolving today’s economic and social challenges through inclusive dialogue, self-expression, empathy and the arts. To celebrate, GlobalBU TCFT held a new exhibition at BU in July 2017.
• For more information you can visit The Complete Freedom of Truth website, or read about the BU 2016 residency, including a video animation produced by the project.
• BU is a key programme partner of TCFT, which was created by the UK charity Opera Circus and funded partly by an EU Erasmus + grant.

When gorse is out of bloom, kissing is out of season: 25 October - 17 November 2017

• The exhibition brought together two differing approaches to understanding the magical and unique habitat of the Studland peninsula. Rooted in sensory responses to the natural environment, June Ridgway and Lizzy Short united to discover the scrubland of inland Studland focusing on aspects of the environment, which is dominated by the ulex europaeus (gorse).
• Using a variety of materials, their work explored this area’s ever changing ambience. Both artists approach their work in different ways with Lizzy Short relying on recording the experience that dictates the outcome, while June Ridgway uses her observations as a stimulus to start a journey which can influence her in what is to be and what could become. By spending time experiencing and working closely alongside each other, they constructed work which is individually different yet intrinsically connected. The exhibition allowed them to home in on the contrasts of each individual practice in order to discover overlapping lines of enquiry. 

Project Vagina: 27 November - 2 December 2017

• The Red Luna Artists' Collective presented Project Vagina; an art installation aimed at shedding light on how women navigate their identities through their bodies.
• In collaboration with Professor Sara Ashencaen Crabtree the exhibition was underpinned by concepts of the self, the gaze and psycho-somatic responses. Using sculpture, film, art, poetry, audience engaged performance and installation the exhibition was both an aesthetic and experiential artistic experiment. 

The HeART of Stroke: 25 - 29 January 2016

• The HeART of Stroke study was a feasibility study related to the use of Art and Health groups with people following a stroke. The study was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and aimed to support self-confidence and psychological wellbeing. Find out more about the study.
• When using an Arts for Health (AfH) approach, people are supported in small groups to feel safe to express themselves through creative activity working alongside an artist. This allows people to express themselves without words. The artworks displayed were by stroke patients who are all participants of the study.

Research Photography Exhibition 2016: 8 - 17 February 2016

• The Research Photography Competition is run annually and gives academics and postgraduate research students the chance to work alongside undergraduates to tell the story of their research in an image.
• For more information about the competition visit the Research website or view the highlights of last year’s Research Photography Competition.

SHOT16: 22 - 26 February 2016

• An exhibition of photographs produced by the students of the MA Cinematography for Film and Television programme; In the first unit - Camera: Image Style and Motion, students examined the basic principals of photography to encourage a deeper understanding of the constructs of the moving image.
• Students explored aspects of the still frame image through a series of ten photographic briefs which encouraged them to ‘think outside the box’ experiment and have fun with these exercises. 

A Conversation: 21 March - 22 April 2015

• British Red Cross in partnership with Lighthouse, Poole, organised a series of drawing workshops with a group of 14 budding artists, most of whom come from refugee backgrounds. Following the three workshops with South West Artwork’s artist Peter Sheridan, a selection of their artwork was displayed in Lighthouse, Poole. The overall aims of the art project were to improve their drawing skills and develop relationships in the Bournemouth and Poole art community. The Atrium Arts Gallery exhibited a selection of these drawings.
• The participants were free to choose their subject matter and for many this was a first attempt at formal drawing. The pieces illustrate a mixture of coloured and black and white drawings that engage the viewer on a variety of topics, some political and other every day occurrences.

Icons of the 20th Century - Sculptures, Words & Drawings: 19 October - 10 November 2016

• This exhibition of wood and clay sculptures explored popular mythology, cultural fame and political leadership across the 20th century. Looking back over the last century, the exhibition questioned how we represented our political, cultural and spiritual leaders.
• BU Chaplain Bill Merrington portrays individuals who had a significant effect upon their communities: from spiritual and political leaders like Gandhi, to popular culture icons such as the Beatles, to figures of authority and the state like Queen Elizabeth II and those of compassion and deity, such as mother Teresa.
• These portraits raise questions of what makes a popular icon and why we choose certain individuals to follow, admire, and revere, seeking to question who and how we celebrated across the 20th century.

Photography Exhibition - Through the Lens of a Doctor: 13 - 16 December 2016

• In this project, GPs were asked to carry a camera with them wherever they went and to be prepared to photograph scenes that attracted their attention with an intuitive ‘tap on the shoulder’. The doctors were then asked to examine 4-5 of the resulting photographs and, in group discussions and reflective prose, to reflect on aspects of the photographs that appeared relevant to their professional lives. This project was run as a collaboration between the Dorset GP training scheme and a photographic artist, Rutherford, Programme Leader of MA Advertising at BU.

The Brick Wall and Beyond by Rehan Zia: 17 January - 7 February 2015

• The landscape photography and research practice exhibition is based on the artist's interpretation of the British landscape as he imagined it to be as a child. The process blended different photographic exposures of the same scene allowing the artist to mould the light and textures to achieve the desired aesthetic.
• The exhibition provided a context for the artists' "brick wall project" in the questions it generates about best practice in high dynamic range landscape photography.

Contingencies Sound Art Exhibition: 13 February - 27 March 2015

• The Contingencies Series presented a sound art exhibition which reflected upon contingency: A future event or circumstance which is possible but cannot be predicted with certainty, The condition of being dependent on chance; uncertainty, Something incidental to something else.
• The exhibition featured a newly commissioned site-specific installation by John Wynne, as well as installations by Antonio Della Marina and Angelo Petronella.

The Photograph as Surface: Submarines by Rutherford: 13 April - 8 May 2015

• In 'The Photograph as Surface' series Rutherford explored the camera's 'view' of the world by photographing juxtaposed planes and reflections distorted in, and by, the topography of 3-dimensional surfaces.
• 'Submarines' introduces the reflective-refractive properties of water. The photographer introduced additional variables in an effort to further reduce the control over the final image; capturing subjects in motion underwater, using a range of digital cameras, and the ways in which the camera interpreted, flattened and rendered the resulting succession of 2-dimensional 'surfaces'.​

BLAST Exhibition: 30 May - 20 June 2015

• BLAST (Bournemouth Lab of Art, Science & Technology) addresses a growing need for meaningful interaction across disciplines by providing an innovative program of workshops, events and informal discussions, fostering dynamic exchanges of experience and ideas.
• The exhibition and associated program of events celebrated and reinforced the exceptional achievements from contemporary artists, scientists and technologists. As well as demonstrating the value of art as a catalyst for negotiating the complexities of rapid, technologically complex, social and ecological change.

BA English - Children's Literature Academic Posters: 3 - 20 July 2015

• A a selection of second-year work in which students were asked to explore an academic question via the medium of an academic conference poster. Such posters are a familiar feature of conferences, and various other events use posters to communicate information.

Our Contrasting Coast: 5 - 30 September 2015

• A photographic interpretation of the way we use our local coast and further afield. Taken over a twelve month period by BU staff members Mandi Tinglert and Elizabeth Challis.
• Images were chosen to portray the constantly changing lights, events, people and nature during the various seasons and throughout the day.

The CMC Department; What We Do and Why It Matters: 12 - 25 October 2015

• The exhibition highlighted how the CMC academic group successfully integrates education, research, and professional practice in support of the BU Fusion agenda.
• The CMC group has one of the strongest research profiles in the University due to its research centres such as the Emerging Consumer Cultures Group, the Public Relations Research Group, the Politics and Media Research Group and the Latin America Research Group – all of which are important hubs of international activity in their respective fields

The Way We Live Now by JAIO: 10 - 21 November 2015

• A fine art and illustration exhibition which explored the thoughts and experiences of a diverse range of people observed, encountered and worked alongside by the artists. The exhibition provided an interactive springboard and invited you to reflect, question and voice your individual responses to the challenge of whether art is a voice when words fail.
• Throughout the process of capturing snapshots through abstracts, portraiture, collage, manga and monochrome, both artists discovered new levels of reflection, mood and emotions revealed in the lives and narratives portrayed in their work.

Affective Bodies: 9 - 11 December 2015

• Affective Bodies was an artistic exhibition curated by four third year BA Digital Media Design students as part of their creative dissertation work on materiality, bodies, identity and the obsolescence of technology.
• The exhibition served a research process; integrating the practical aspect of co-curating and exhibiting their own work as a group, with the theoretical side of the dissertation project.