Development

Falling UP Mary Barnes is a collaboration with the hereditary keeper of Falkland Palace who is the custodian of a large collection of artwork by Outsider Artist Mary Barnes. This project has various strands and outcomes, one of which was integrating a selection of Mary Barnes' artworks into the Falling UP 9.0 exhibition at the Fire Station Creative in 2024. In this way, Barnes posthumously became part of the Falling UP art collective. Our intention for this project was to present Barnes as an artist in her own right away from the shadow cast by R.D. Laing and the Kingsley Hall experiment (1965-1970). Barnes' time in Kingsley Hall has hitherto largely defined her life and artistic legacy within the medical context. As part of the 101st birthday celebrations of Barnes in 2024, we will facilitate the generation of 101 responses to her art from a broad spectrum of participants, cross-generationally coming from different backgrounds and experiences.