Life​ ​in​ ​St​ ​Andrews​: ​An​ ​Immersive​ ​Art​ ​Exhibit​ Reviewed

On​ ​Saturday,​ ​On​ ​The​ ​Rocks​ ​set​ ​the​ ​tone​ ​for​ ​their​ ​2018​ ​festival​ ​with​ ​an​ ​”immersive​ ​art​ ​exhibit,” held​ ​at​ ​the​ ​top​ ​floor​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Union.​ ​The​ ​theme​ ​of​ ​the​ ​exhibit​ ​was​ ​”Life​ ​in​ ​St​ ​Andrews,” and showcased​ ​art​ ​of​ ​all​ ​mediums:​ ​from​ ​sculpture​ ​to​ ​film​ ​to​ ​photography​ ​to​ ​performance.​ ​Priced​ ​at​ ​£5 a​ ​ticket,​ ​attendees​ ​were​ ​able​ ​to​ ​come​ ​and​ ​go​ ​from​ ​the​ ​event​ ​all​ ​day​ ​from​ ​12​ ​-​ ​8,​ ​as​ ​well​ ​as​ ​take part​ ​in​ ​a​ ​variety​ ​of​ ​workshops​ ​organised​ ​by​ ​the​ ​committee.

Although​ ​the​ ​chosen​ ​venue​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Union​ ​could​ ​be​ ​considered​ unprofessional or ineffective ​exhibition​ ​space,​ ​the​ ​committee​ ​utilised​ ​the​ ​area​ ​well,​ ​designating​ ​each​ ​room​ ​to​ ​a different​ ​artistic​ ​medium-​ ​sculpture,​ ​workshops,​ ​painting,​ ​creative​ ​writing,​ ​fashion,​ ​film, performance,​ ​technical​ ​design,​ ​”your​ ​thoughts,” and​ ​photography -​ ​and​ ​provided​ ​maps​ ​on​ ​the walls​ ​allowing​ ​for​ ​a​ ​simple​ ​navigation​ ​around​ ​the​ ​space.​ ​Ticket​ ​holders​ ​were​ ​greeted​ ​by​ ​an​ ​On the​ ​Rocks​ ​style​ ​installation​ ​in​ ​the​ ​form​ ​of​ ​hanging​ ​origami​ ​birds​ ​-​ ​however​ ​apart​ ​from​ ​this,​ ​the decoration​ ​was​ ​minimal.​ ​The​ ​works​ ​on​ ​display​ ​were​ ​sourced​ ​from​ ​creators​ ​outside​ ​the​ ​University as​ ​well​ ​as​ ​students,​ ​such​ ​as​ ​school​ ​pupil’s​ ​sculptural​ ​work​ ​and​ ​winners​ ​from​ ​the​ ​”Junk​ ​Kouture” fashion​ ​design​ ​competition​ ​-​ ​which​ ​helped​ ​to​ ​tie​ ​into​ ​the​ ​Life​ ​in​ ​St​ ​Andrews​ ​theme,​ ​which certainly​ ​ran​ ​throughout​ ​the​ ​exhibition,​ ​if​ ​very​ ​loosely.

The​ ​performance​ ​room​ ​included​ ​an​ ​engaging​ ​short​ ​play​ ​by​ ​a​ ​pair​ ​of​ ​students​ ​and​ ​the​ ​Your Thoughts ​space​ ​allowed​ ​guests​ ​to​ ​share​ ​their​ ​thoughts​ ​about​ ​their​ ​own​ ​Life​ ​in​ ​St​ ​Andrews: responses​ ​ranged​ ​from​ ​”unique”​ ​and​ ​”vibrant” ​to​ ​”posh,” ​”cold,” ​and​ ​”not​ ​as​ ​good​ ​as​ ​Edinburgh.” Combined​ ​with​ ​the​ ​variety​ ​of​ ​workshops​ ​on​ ​offer​ ​run​ ​in​ ​collaboration​ ​with​ ​other​ ​student​ ​societies -​ ​such​ ​as​ ​Persian​ ​calligraphy​ ​and​ ​a​ ​pottery​ ​class​ ​-​ ​the​ ​event​ ​certainly​ ​provided​ ​an​ ​”immersive” experience​ ​for​ ​ticket​ ​holders.

The​ ​exhibition​ ​succeeded​ ​in​ ​indicating​ ​the​ ​wide​ ​scope​ ​of​ ​artistic​ ​mediums​ ​which​ ​the​ ​festival​ ​itself will​ ​include​ ​when​ ​the​ ​main​ ​event​ ​comes​ ​around.​ ​On​ ​The​ ​Rocks​ ​is​ ​St​ ​Andrew’s​ ​own​ ​annual​ ​arts festival​ ​which​ ​will​ ​next​ ​take​ ​place​ ​in​ ​April​ ​2018​ ​as​ ​the​ ​largest​ ​student​ ​run​ ​arts​ ​festival​ ​in​ ​Scotland.

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