Clear of People at The Wilson Gallery and Museum in Cheltenham

In 2013, Iwanowski retraced the journey his grandfather and great uncle had made and mapped in 1945, following their escape from a Russian prisoner of war camp. They followed a simple rule; stay clear of people, in order to survive.

His series of beautiful, stark landscapes, of quiet forests and snow-bound open spaces document the harsh environment of North Eastern Europe which is once again a site of conflict. This thought provoking exploration of home and displacement, reminds us of the personal stories behind the statistics of war.

Set across two floors, the exhibition conveys Iwanowski’s 1,360 mile journey from Russia to Poland crossing many countries’ borders, along with drawings and photographs from the past, which tell one family’s story now shared across two generations. His grandfather’s escape route mapped against the changing borders of the last 78 years illustrates how these European territories have been claimed, re-claimed and changed by invading and retreating forces.

Photographs of Iwanowski’s family, diary entries and letters, bring this human story to life, and take us on a journey through the majestic, peaceful forests of Lithuania which now grow over vast WWII execution sites where the bodies of the slaughtered lie unseen, just as the poppies of Flanders Field grew where the soldiers had fallen in battle in northern France.

The exhibition invites visitors to share their own journeys in an interactive display. In response to the question – how did you get here? – communities and visitors will be invited to create their own personal maps and stories describing their family experience which will grow to become part of the exhibition over the coming months.