VisitGuernsey is sponsoring ‘Astonishing Things’ – an exhibition presenting a remarkable selection of Victor Hugo’s rarely seen works – at the Royal Academy of Arts in London.
Open to the public from Friday 21st March, the exhibition features 74 artworks from esteemed European collections spanning Hugo’s early caricatures and travel drawings to his dramatic landscapes and pioneering experiments with abstraction. As a celebrated writer, artist, and visionary, Hugo’s time in Guernsey played a significant role in shaping his creative legacy, making this exhibition particularly significant for the Islands.
As sponsors of the exhibition, VisitGuernsey has had the unique opportunity to engage with the Royal Academy’s database of 80,000 members – an audience that closely aligns with the visitors Guernsey aims to attract. The sponsorship also enhances brand awareness, with the VisitGuernsey logo prominently featured in the exhibition catalogue, website, and the striking 30-foot entrance panel at the Academy. Additionally, a half-page advertisement in the RA Magazine further amplifies the Islands’ cultural appeal.
Perhaps the most valuable benefit of this partnership was the exclusive hire of the Academy’s prestigious Fine Rooms – an opulent series of grand spaces adorned with unique artworks – to host a welcome event before a private viewing of the exhibition. This intimate event took place on Thursday 20th March, the evening before the exhibition’s public opening, which allowed VisitGuernsey to welcome 25 top UK journalists alongside key stakeholders including arts, history, and tourism experts as well as Victor Hugo scholars, artists, and curators.
The event served as an exceptional platform to celebrate Hugo’s artistic brilliance while showcasing the Islands of Guernsey as a premier cultural destination. Journalists from The Telegraph, The Times, The Guardian, and Wanderlust mingled with local experts beside a unique, one-night-only installation curated by Art for Guernsey, in partnership with and commissioned by VisitGuernsey.
The installation showcased three striking Victor Hugo-inspired works: intricate illustrations by Daniel Hosego, evocative lithographs by Oleg Mikhailov – both of whom contributed to Art for Guernsey’s ‘A Renaissance of Victor Hugo’ exhibition in 2023 – and atmospheric photography by local artist Paul Chambers.
Zoe Gosling, Lead Marketing Officer for VisitGuernsey, said: “Partnering with the Royal Academy of Arts was the opportunity of a lifetime for VisitGuernsey. By sponsoring this exhibition, we can put the Islands directly in front of their audience. Hosting a reception at the Royal Academy itself meant we could engage directly with journalists and, by collaborating with Art for Guernsey, we could not only showcase our Victor Hugo connections but how he continues to inspire artists today.”
Jock Pettitt, Director at Art for Guernsey, said: “Continuing our long-standing positive relationship with VisitGuernsey, Art for Guernsey was delighted to undertake the delivery of the private view event at the Royal Academy, celebrating VisitGuernsey’s supporting role in the Victor Hugo exhibition.
“Curating a number of notable artworks, showcasing both local and international artists’ response to Hugo’s legacy in the Islands, in a very prestigious space and with a very short timeframe to achieve it, presented a challenge that we applied all of our skill and experience to, and we were delighted with the results, which were met with so many positive comments.
“It was such a pleasure to work with the VisitGuernsey team, our UK production partners and the Royal Academy; as a charity minded to create wider value for the island, we relentlessly apply art as a strategy, not only to inspire the community but also to promote Guernsey as a destination and support our tourism industry.”
A spokesperson for the Royal Academy Sponsorship Team said: “The installation created by VisitGuernsey was a unique response to their support of this exhibition, and we were thrilled to see an exhibition supporter celebrate their connection to the artist in this way.”
