SIMULATIONS Rachel Louise Brown Satellite Exhibition at The Gallery within Sea Containers London

The Mermaid. Weeki Wachee Springs, 2017

In conjunction with Rachel Louise Brown’s Pavilion Commission Simulations at Photo London, a satellite exhibition of the original photographic prints from the series is presented by Sea Containers London in their dedicated new Gallery space. The work is the result of a four year collaboration with Palm Beach Photographic Centre, Florida. Initially inspired by Jean Baudrillard’s idea of ‘imagination stations’; environments created to entertain society, Brown wandered the streets of West Palm Beach alone at night in search of simulated environments and also placed casting calls in the Palm Beach Daily News to work with local strangers. The resulting fictional narratives translate heightened psychological states in both herself and her subjects. Brown says, ‘I wanted to depict Florida’s heady mix of escapism and entertainment while at the same time place myself in unpredictable situations to explore a sense of fear and my own thrill-seeking’. In her quest, Brown photographed Palm Beach Zoo, Mar-a-lago, Fright Nights at the South Florida Fairground, The Breakers Hotel as well as travelling further across the state to Disney World and the mermaid show at Weeki Waachi Springs. The Pavilion Commission and satellite exhibition is curated by Maggie O’Regan