Exhibition
Drawing upon the Cayman Compass’ extensive archive of journalistic photographs, this exhibition provides a window into the Cayman Islands of the late 20th century – captured through candid portraits, civic functions and historic milestones, as well as more intimate depictions of family gatherings and daily life. Reflecting the multi-faceted social and cultural tapestry of our Islands, the images document the changing face of Cayman and offer us a moment to collectively pause and reflect on who we are and where we have come from.
The featured photographs are a small sample drawn from the wider collection of over 300,000 negatives, which have been carefully digitised by the TimeBack team of dedicated amateur historians, journalists, artists, and civic-minded Caymanians. This wider digital repository invites ongoing participation from the community, inviting us to share reflections around individual images in an effort to document lost stories and expand our historical knowledge. Stimulating both personal and collective memory, and unparalleled in its scale, this remarkable archive facilitates a journey into our past and emphasises the importance of retaining our unique cultural knowledge for future generations.
The National Gallery is proud to continue its partnership with the Cayman Islands Aviation Authority to deliver Art at the Airport, an initiative that was launched in tandem with the redevelopment and reopening of the expanded Owen Roberts International Airport (ORIA) in 2019. TimeBack is the latest in a series of exhibitions and art installations to be featured across several areas of the airport as part of the programme. The exhibition was produced as part of NGCI’s Travelling Exhibition Programme, which aims to extend opportunities for audiences to experience NGCI exhibitions and reproductions of works from the National Collection at satellite venues and off-site locations throughout the Cayman Islands.