ABSTRACT
In 2014 the statement was an anonymous written response by a visitor to the Art of the Troubles exhibition, which was held at the Ulster Museum, National Museums NI, in Belfast. During the research and curation of this exhibition no one really understood or predicted the impact it would have on the audience. In common with all major exhibitions held across National Museums NI, visitor evaluations were carried out for both Art of the Troubles and Colin Davidson, Silent Testimony, to gauge the nature and extent of public engagement. This chapter examines how art can inform, affect, and ultimately help to heal a society that has experienced such traumatic events. The Art of the Troubles exhibition was organised in partnership with Wolverhampton Art Gallery, which have an art collection that relates to the Northern Irish conflict; it included loans from private collections, other institutions such as the Imperial War Museum, and the artists themselves.
