‘Not Just Concrete’ at the Orkney Museum

Next Saturday (9 February) sees the opening of a new exhibition at the Orkney Museum, Tankerness House, Kirkwall.

‘Not Just Concrete: elegance, beauty and the unexpected in Orkney’s wartime remains’ is a collection of photographs of wartime defences by Ian Collins. While some may find Orkney’s wartime heritage unsightly, Ian looks beyond the concrete, as he explains.

‘The landscape of Orkney is marked in many places by the brutal remains of reinforced concrete military buildings dating from the second world war, their original function long past, perhaps forgotten. Incongruous, these monuments and landmarks are often found in isolated and beautiful locations.

‘The photographs in this exhibition represent an exploration of these remains and the way in which they sometimes display unexpected elegance and beauty. I have tried to represent not only the way in which they stand in the landscape and interact with the elements, but also the way in which they bear the marks left by people who have passed through.’

‘Not Just Concrete’ is on show at the Orkney Museum from 9th February to the 2nd March.

The museum is open Monday to Saturday, 10.30 to 12.30, 13.30 to 17.00. Admission is free.