A series of temporary follies along the Parkland Walk which curates an experiential museum cataloguing London’s folklore. The museum mediates between the accessibility of digital museums and the physical nature of the traditional museum. It forms part of a distributed network of museums connected to the Victoria and Albert Museum, making physical art and culture more accessible. It also dissolves the walls of the museum by fragmenting it along a public walkway, creating open air, accessible follies allowing the public to interact with them as they desire.
The re-engagement with folklore is a response to the disconnect between the citizens of London and their local, collective, cultural identity. The celebration of folklore re-establishes the collective memory which acts as a basis for a cohesive society in a city that is characterised by difference. This is a reaction against the loss of British culture, giving rise to nationalism and separatism in Britain, the symptoms of which can be seen in the Brexit vote. This project proposes a return to localism as an antidote to nationalism, creating a patchwork of local cultures rather than striving for a cohesive whole, using folklore as a means to form these cultures.
Albert’s Memorial is placed on a mound reminiscent of Saxon long barrows. The dislocated walls create a sense of enclosure resembling the standing stones used to surround barrows.
Follies sprawl the length of the Parkland Walk, connected by the Windsor Line bridge. They cross roads and paths, rise and fall, and provide moments for re-engaging with the context.