Press Releases
Kings of the Underground
Date:
2022-10-05Opening at the National Waterfront Museum on 5 October “Kings of the Underground” is a fascinating exhibition featuring surviving colliers and their relatives who were photographed using a process called photogrammetry, which converts two-dimensional images into three-dimensional portraits.
The results are unique 3D digital portraits along with stories in their own voices of the colliers and relatives.
Unique artworks have also been produced by young learners at primary schools and a youth groups, through workshops inspired by the stories of the colliers and families.
Kings of the Underground
Vision Fountain’s Kings of The Underground captures the memories and physiognomies (facial features) of the last generation of Welsh coalminers. Vision Fountain embedded with coal –mining communities across the entire South Wales coal-field with their portable studio, capturing 3D portraits and recording oral testimony as they went.
Welsh colliers worked in one of the most intensively mined areas on earth and produced the world’s finest coal which helped drive the industrial revolution.
The project also includes miners’ wives and the colliers currently working at Wales’ last underground mine, Aberpergym,
Richard Jones, Creative Director, Vision Fountain said:
“The King’s of the Underground project records the faces and testimonies of the last generation of Welsh coal-miners. As a nation we should never forget that these coal-miners, along with their forefathers, built modern Wales.
The project has used technology, popular in gaming culture and virtual reality (VR), to create a cross generational project that youngsters can easily engage with.
It has been a pleasure and honour to work with the Welsh miners. It is sad, but also pertinent, that several of the miners, that were involved in this project at the beginning, have since passed, which underlines the importance of capturing their likeness’ and testimonies for the Welsh archive.”
Jacqueline Roach, Exhibitions and Programmes Officer at the National Waterfront Museum, said:
“It has been a real pleasure to support this amazing project that has captured the important stories of the men and women of these coalmining communities. Through the advanced technology used and stories it has inspired, the project has connected generations through workshops and art.”
The project was made possible with the generous contributions from staff at the National Waterfront Museum & Rhondda Heritage Park.
The project has been supported and funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thank you to all Lottery Players.
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