Shelter an exhibition at Kirkcaldy Museum and Art Gallery

Shelter 

5th March 2016 until 5th June 2016

@ Kirkcaldy Art Gallery and Museum 

part of Scotland’s Festival of Architecture 2016

This is an exhibition of two parts, one gallery includes images from the publications of Lloyd Kahn, editor in chief of Shelter publications in California. Along with Buckminster Fuller and Stewart Brand he was an early advocate of the benefits of geodesic domes, though he later recanted his position with a further publication on how impractical they were. The images are from around the world and show some fairly extreme shelters nestling in some at times pretty inhospitable places, along with some stories of people for whom the home comforts need be little more than a roof and some walls. A collection of his books is also available for browsing. In case you have not guessed there is a strong whiff of the American West coast counterculture. 

The other gallery consists larger more glossy photos of a variety of Scottish shelters (I think) some are ad hoc galleries, some seem to be more reflective spaces and some are the sort of places where readers of Permaculture magazine might aspire to dwelling. There is also a strange concrete castle thing on top of a very rocky promontory that seems to be some sort of striking art statement. 

This is certainly not hipster Apartment Therapy territory, these are shelters at their most basic, that are totally in tune with their environment, having largely been crafted from things picked up along the way. It is a thought provoking and inspiring exhibition that is proving popular with visitors.