Collaged exhibit

Walls Have Eyes – they’ve seen it all

HOT’s Judy Parkinson caught up with The Two Ians who are making a name for themselves by creating alternative gallery experiences in Hastings. 

For Coastal Currents 2025, The Two Ians have refigured Hastings History House from a traditional local archive with an exhibition called Walls Have Eyes with creative responses to Hastings’ rich and fascinating past with new work by themselves and nine local artists of various ages, backgrounds and lived experiences.

By Ian Shillito

Both Ians – Shillito and Skelton – agree: “We feel the History House is a great venue for one of our alternative gallery projects. Maintained by a committed core of local volunteers, the building is a characterful, old-world archive which deserves a wider audience. Walls Have Eyes hopes to highlight how the visual arts and the creative process can inform Hastings inhabitants about their town’s fascinating past.”

By Ian Shillito

Shillito says: “Walls Have Eyes plays with the notion — what if walls could talk . . .  or better still, see? It supports a theory that walls retain energy from the past that can be released like an echo or reply. It also poses the question, if we could tap into it, what would we learn about the past and ourselves?”

Skelton feels: “Fundamental to our projects is the creation of opportunities for artists who have had minimal to no experience exhibiting publicly, to increase inclusivity and widen the artistic pool in the town. Consequently, contributors to this project are retired, at university, attendees from Art in the Park and professionals who create art in their downtime.”

By Ian Skelton

Alongside The Two Ians, artists include Emma Harding, Luciana Haill, Pete Smith, Jane Fryers, Thom Collett, Luke Garvey, Emma La Faye, Shon, Lara Vaney and Louisa Sealand.

History usually relies on written and oral sources to help us understand the past. These artists’ interpretations show other ways to tell stories about times gone by. Walls Have Eyes builds on the trend that has seen many of our country’s heritage houses and tourist attractions use artistic and theatrical conventions to make history more accessible and pose more questions than answers.

The Two Ians are working class visual artists with lengthy careers in the live and recorded arts. Shillito is a production arts educator and creative director for Grim Times events. He has over 35 years’ experience of working in theatre, film and heritage interpretation, including: The English Shakespeare Company, Miss Saigon, We Will Rock You, Hackney Museum, The Clink Prison Museum and Old Royal Naval College. Skelton writes for TV, film and theatre. He had three full-length plays commissioned and performed at the Gala Theatre Durham, including Get Off at Gateshead.

Sharing Northumberland DNA, The Two Ians found they had much else in common and first collaborated in 2022. Their debut shows were two successful exhibitions at St Andrews Mews Lost Rooms Gallery with iFound, using found and repurposed materials.

“iFound was my first time exhibiting publicly outside of college, and it was a delight to be part of an exhibition that explored recycled and found materials; something that resonates closely to me and my artistic practice. I’m sincerely grateful for how welcoming, supportive and passionate The Ians have been. They gave me confidence in sharing my art, and learning that it holds worth to the community” — Lara Vaney, artist.

Hastings History House
21 Courthouse Street
Old Town, Hastings TN34 3AU

Saturday 30 and Sunday 31 August, 11am–5pm
Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 September, 11am–5pm

https://coastalcurrents.org.uk/the-two-ians/
@thetwoians

Also in: Arts News