Believe It Or Not, 2021
Installation at The Grundy Art Gallery, Blackpool
In 2020, COVID-19 struck and galleries across the world had to be closed down. During that time, they sat empty, waiting, vulnerable. In Believe It Or Not, Shy Bairns 2025 investigated what happened at The Grundy during lockdown, piecing together mysterious ooze, missing rooms, reddit pages and TikToks in order to understand the events that led to the disappearance of curator Johnny Highland.
Shy Bairns 2025 are artists, curators, and supernatural investigators that were hired to explore the disappearance and the abnormal goings-on in the gallery. By looking at the research gathered by Johnny Highland, alongside ex-Grundy security guard Maggie B. and local student Jack [Redacted], they piece together the evidence to gain an insight into what really took place in 2020.
Install shots by Kate Blamire at The Grundy, Blackpool