The following article was kindly written by Charles Beterams, a self-confessed Pink Floyd addict and owner of FloydStuff.com (https://www.floydstuff.com), an online store stuffed full of PF goodies. Charles supplied the pictures (below) from the opening event as well. He’s also the man behind a range of excellent books about the band, with the latest book – Any Colour You Like: The Dark Side Of The Moon On Vinyl (https://www.floydstuff.com/product/8818296/pink-floyd-any-colour-you-like-the-dark-side-of-the-moon-on-vinyl) – the result of Stefano Tarquini’s lifelong quest and gathers together the 700 currently known variations of Pink Floyd’s masterpiece on record. The Groninger Museum in the northern city of Groningen has become somewhat of a centre for interesting musical exhibitions. Following on from the highly successful David Bowie exhibition and a recent one on the Rolling Stones (which will see a reprise later this year) the museum – lead by director Andreas Blühm – was nominated for hosting the Their Mortal Remains exhibition. Despite the museum’s spacious rooms the exhibit didn’t fit in terms of size and especially height. Following discussions with Aubrey ‘Po’ Powell who curated the Pink Floyd Exhibition: Their Mortal Remains in London and subsequent cities across the globe, a plan was raised to focus on the visual side of things and create a new exhibition on Hipgnosis. The result of that can be seen (or absorbed) until 14 May in no less than eight rooms in the Mendini Pavillion of the museum. The opening event to place in the presence of Aubrey Powell, Peter Curzon and Pink Floyd’s curator Paula Webb Stainton and also attracted people like photographer Claude Vanheye who took the famous 1968 shots of the band during their visit to Amsterdam. Director Andreas Blühm introduced Aubrey Powell who discussed the hard work it was to get all those sleeves done in an pre-digital era but with enormous budgets on the other hand. With the close connection between the band and Hipgnosis showed in the large presence of Pink Floyd in the exhibition with the largest room fully dedicated to The Dark Side Of The Moon, but also highlighting Wish You Were Here, Animals and two beautiful walls with front of house and backstage photos. Other artists featured in the exhibition include Paul McCartney, Genesis, Led Zeppelin, Peter Gabriel and 10CC. Both the city of Groningen and the exhibition are well worth a visit. Details and directions can be found at groningermuseum.nl (https://www.groningermuseum.nl/en/art/exhibitions/hipgnosis)
