The Covid Diaries 8: The Barbican, Masculinities & Conservatory

Review of the exhibition Masculinities at the Barbican, and a visit to the Conservatory. In which I am impressed by the Barbican’s Covid provisions, have my horizons expanded, and finish with a relaxing walk among the plants.

Back at the Barbican!

The Barbican were among the first major London cultural institutions to put tickets on sale; so I had been looking forward to this visit for a number of weeks and it definitely did not disappoint. I was so excited to book tickets that I chose back to back slots for Masculinities: Liberation through Photography and the Conservatory. More on both in due course.

A+ Covid Measures Make for a Reassuring Visit

But first a word on the Barbican’s Covid-19 measures. Out of all the places I have been since lockdown began to lift, they were by far the best. They should teach masterclasses in how to keep visitors and staff safe and secure. I knew I was in good hands as soon as I arrived. The clear signage and well-organised entry point were complemented by staff who were following sufficiently robust processes and had the training to do it confidently. A far cry already from the shambles that was Tate Modern when I visited.

The Barbican have figured out an entirely touch-free route from end to end of the experience. They have marked out routes through the spaces and places to stand and look at the art. They also provide a map just in case you’re not clear where to go next. The outcome of all of this preparation is that the expectations on visitors are absolutely clear, and everyone abides by them. People were respectful of social distancing in a way that just doesn’t seem to be the case when the institution itself isn’t taking it seriously. So I could stop concentrating on people-dodging and focus on why I was there in the first place!

Masculinities: Liberation through Photography

This is such a good exhibition. I hadn’t been sure how much it would be my thing, but the curation was excellent. It makes Masculinities at the Barbican a joy to review. There was a good selection of works, interesting themes, and just enough interpretation to ground each artist within their context and explain their inclusion in the exhibition. As the title suggests, the focus of Masculinities is on the multiple interpretations, traditions and agendas informing ideas on masculinity. The majority of the artists represented are modern or contemporary.; they use photography (sometimes video) to explore themes like masculine stereotypes, personal expressions of gender and (non)conformity. Broadly speaking, the lower level of the exhibition presents artists whose work questions constructs of masculinity and who find liberation through photography. The upper level looks at the same subject through a series of lenses: queer, black, and the ‘female gaze’.

Masculinities Highlight: Hans Eijkelboom

There was a lot of interesting work that I would like to read more about (I should probably the catalogue). One artist I particularly liked was Hans Eijkelboom. Eijkelboom is a Dutch artist whose early series (two of which are included here) often included self-portraiture and played on identity. In a 1978 series titled With my Family, Eijkelboom introduced himself into strangers’ homes while the husband was working and wife was at home with the children. He then posed for pictures of the ‘perfect’ nuclear family with himself in the role of father.

In another 1978 series, The Ideal Man, women provided an annotated photograph of Eijkelboom along with written notes describing their ideal man. Eijkelboom then transformed himself into each woman’s ideal man and posed together with her. Both series are fun and clever but also have something to say about gender roles and societal expectations. Look out for them if you see the exhibition.

The Conservatory

Were you aware that the Barbican had a conservatory you could visit? Me neither. But the fact that visitors now have to book a free timed ticket has surfaced its existence. So this was my first look at the conservatory in my many many trips to the Barbican!

Apparently it is the second biggest conservatory in London (is the first Kew?) and was opened in 1984. You can see how well established it is at first glance. Lots of very well-established trees and plants greet you, as well as a koi pond, and various hidden corners. An outdoor apiary is currently closed – not sure if that’s normally open). In-keeping with their excellent organisations abilities, the Barbican have created a single path through from start to finish. This includes a seating area for limited numbers of people. This was a good spot for us to sit down and talk about the exhibition we’d just seen, and other guests were enjoying it as well in a socially-distanced manner.

I will be interested to see some day what it’s like under normal circumstances, but I am pleased to now know the conservatory at the Barbican exists, and I enjoyed it as a refreshing counterpoint to my review of Masculinities.

On its own merits – Masculinities: 4.5/5
On its own merits – Conservatory: 3.5/5
Implementing Covid rules: 5+/5

Masculinities: Liberation through Photography until 23 August