Imperial War Museum

I recently visited The Imperial War Museum at Salford Quays in Greater Manchester.

The museum was designed by architect Daniel Libeskind and opened in July 2002. It  was recognised with awards and prize nominations for its architecture. Libeskind envisaged a 'constellation composed of three interlocking shards' with each shard being a remnant of an imagined globe shattered by conflict. These shards in turn represented air, earth and water, and each formed a functionally distinct part of the museum. The 55m high air shard, provides the museum's entranceway and a viewing balcony above the Manchester Ship Canal with views of the Manchester skyline. The earth shard houses the museum's exhibition spaces, while the water shard accommodates a cafe with views of the canal. The museum features a permanent exhibition of chronological and thematic displays, supported by hourly audiovisual presentations which are projected throughout the gallery space. The museum also hosts a programme of temporary exhibitions in a separate gallery. I was particularly keen on viewing Don McCullin’s temporary exhibition of Photographs; Shaped by War.

Shaped By War

 Delta Company, 1/5th US Marines in action during the Battle for Hue, Tet Offensive, Vietnam, February 1968. A mortar section sprints through the ruins of Hue under sniper fire.

Photograph © Don McCullin

For more than 50 years, McCullin’s images have shaped our awareness of modern conflict and its consequences. His courage and integrity, as well as the exceptional quality of his work, are a continuing inspiration and influence worldwide. This major new exhibition contains over 200 photographs, objects, magazines and personal memorabilia, and shows how war has shaped the life of this exceptional British photographer and those across the globe over the last half-century.

I’m terrible at reviewing things so please find an in depth review and interview with Don McCullin at this link. The Observer - Sean O'Hagan

The hundreds of photographs of war, poverty, fear, and destruction were extremely moving. I’m glad I visited the exhibition as I find documentaries of War very interesting and like to learn how War has shaped the lives of people today.