Exhibition poster

Marks in the Landscape

Some images by Ian Collins from a joint exhibition of photographs with Catherine Grivas

Scapa Flow Museum, Lyness, Orkney 28 April -30 September 2025

The landscape of Orkney is marked in many places by the remains of military sites and installations dating from both world wars, their original functions long past, perhaps forgotten. Incongruous, these monuments and landmarks are often found in isolated and beautiful locations; they vary in scale from those that have altered the physical and social geography of the islands (notably the Churchill Barriers) down to small fixtures hidden in moorland or fragile scraps of message slips stuck to a concrete wall.

These photographs explore the way in which these remains stand in the landscape and sometimes display unexpected elegance. I am fascinated by the way in which sunlight can illuminate and transform the interior of these concrete structures. And I wonder at how easily the circumstances that led to their construction are forgotten.

This work is dedicated to all those affected by armed conflict.