Discover Jersey is an exhibition of Bryony Koester’s art, that was held at the Sir John Cheshire Gallery in St Helier, Jersey in April 2010.  St Thomas’ Church is one of the largest Catholic churches on the island and many visit the Welcome Centre daily as it has a small café and is used for night classes and group meetings.  As a result, it was said by the runner of the Welcome Centre, Mrs Colino, that a conservative estimate of visitors to the gallery within the three weeks the show was open is 800 people, however that it could have been well over a thousand. 

The concept of the work was to create a visual representation of what forms Jersey’s  unique identity, including the good and the bad. The exhibition aims to highlight the island’s complexities, including its history, heritage and traditions, as well as its development in the modern world by creating a forum for its audience to discuss key issues that arise through the project, such as:

1. •Where is Jersey’s placement within the modern external world?
   

2. •Can the island continue its modernisation yet still retain its identity?
   

3. •How important is island identity today?
   

The work itself revolves around the idea of preservation; glass jars were used to hold small sculptures and found objects that depict different aspects of Jersey, questioning what it is that we preserve to keep our identity. 

The exhibition was opened by Mike Stentiford MBE at the private view on the 5th April at 5:30pm.  Mike Stentiford is a prominent member of the community, having been involved in many wildlife and conservation projects in Jersey for a number of years.  He joined the National Trust in 2008 and in 2010 he was presented with the ‘Unsung Coastal Hero’ award for his help in founding the National Trust for Jersey’s coastline campaign in which he inspired 7000 people to join in a peaceful protest on St Ouens beach, causing politicians to review planning policy with regard to the coast. 

The private view was well attended by around 40 people, including Rod McLoughlin, Cultural Development Officer, Peter Knight, a local artist, John Wakeman, who started the now major collection of Claude Cahun’s work, as well as friends and family.  

This website is the beginnings of creating that discussion, the blog will be used as a starting point for discussion and photographs of the work in progress will be uploaded as visual reactions to the questions which arise, allowing the public to start responding.

Please feel free to contact Bryony through the website and contribute to the project in any way and to visit the exhibition in April.