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Kelly Jackson
St John's Chapel

Adjacent to the derelict asylum the interior of the chapel had been the scene for the filming of Kelly Jackson's haunting video. The image projected in the entrance to the chapel could have been suggestive of the unsettling experiences of the inhabitants of the former asylum. In a conventional gallery the video might have been rather innocuous but in this setting, the surroundings of a huge and derelict building, the image was perhaps disturbing.

Started in 1848 and opened in 1852 St John's Hospital was built as an asylum, offering shelter and support for the destitute and afflicted, including the mentally ill. It included its own ballroom, gardens and a farm which was tended by the patients. The chapel served the Catholic patients, another chapel existed within the hospital grounds for the Church of England congregation. The hospital was closed during the 1980s and has remained derelict since.

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