0:00:03 > 0:00:05The National Museum and Galleries of Wales,
0:00:05 > 0:00:09home to the nation's largest and most important collection of art.
0:00:11 > 0:00:15A collection that includes Van Gogh, Monet, Picasso and Turner,
0:00:15 > 0:00:18but this is only the tip of the iceberg.
0:00:19 > 0:00:23Underground, the museum's secure vaults store
0:00:23 > 0:00:25the rest of the priceless collection,
0:00:25 > 0:00:30Down here lie thousands of works of art that the public very rarely get to see.
0:00:30 > 0:00:32Until now.
0:00:34 > 0:00:37For the first time ever, five people from all over Wales
0:00:37 > 0:00:39with no formal art background
0:00:39 > 0:00:43will have the run of the entire national collection.
0:00:44 > 0:00:46I don't usually do this sort of thing. I work in a factory.
0:00:46 > 0:00:50I'm a little bit scared, but I think I'll be OK.
0:00:50 > 0:00:54You've got to be in it to win it, and I am.
0:00:54 > 0:00:57They'll be given unprecedented access to priceless paintings,
0:00:57 > 0:01:00sculptures and ceramics.
0:01:00 > 0:01:03That would look so nice in my lounge.
0:01:03 > 0:01:05That's a bit erotic!
0:01:05 > 0:01:07- So this is Welsh as well? - Oh, yes.
0:01:07 > 0:01:11Their goal, to compete for the chance to put on a show
0:01:11 > 0:01:13in The National Museum of Wales.
0:01:16 > 0:01:20Can five members of the public show the art world they've got what it takes
0:01:20 > 0:01:23to become The Exhibitionists?
0:01:27 > 0:01:32Art shows can take several years to plan by professional curators,
0:01:32 > 0:01:37but the museum's next show is in the hands of our untrained amateurs.
0:01:37 > 0:01:39So, who's in the frame?
0:01:41 > 0:01:44Julia, football fanatic from Swansea.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50Darren, florist from Colwyn Bay.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56Efa, singer-songwriter from Criccieth
0:01:59 > 0:02:03Richard, quiz lover from Monmouth.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08and Colin, antiques enthusiast from Dowlais.
0:02:12 > 0:02:18This is the prestigious Gallery 24, where by the end of the series,
0:02:18 > 0:02:23two of our exhibitionists will go head to head and stage their own exhibition.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27Current occupant, Her Majesty the Queen,
0:02:27 > 0:02:29in a blockbuster retrospective.
0:02:29 > 0:02:33And already Julia's looking at the space with new eyes.
0:02:33 > 0:02:37I don't think I'd put everything on the walls. It's quite flat.
0:02:37 > 0:02:38Do you think it's quite flat?
0:02:38 > 0:02:40Can I say that?
0:02:40 > 0:02:44Who stays and who goes will be decided by our mentors,
0:02:44 > 0:02:47two renowned experts from the art world.
0:02:49 > 0:02:53Respected Welsh painter and art critic, Osi Rhys Osmond...
0:02:56 > 0:02:59..and Karen MacKinnon, one of Wales's leading curators.
0:03:01 > 0:03:02We're looking for instinct.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05We're looking for someone who really understands the work that
0:03:05 > 0:03:10they've selected and can make them really shine in an exhibition.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13You might feel that putting an exhibition together
0:03:13 > 0:03:15is a fairly straightforward task.
0:03:15 > 0:03:19But, as our exhibitionists are about to find out, there is much,
0:03:19 > 0:03:24much more to curating an exhibition than meets the eye.
0:03:26 > 0:03:30Each exhibitionist will be judged on how well
0:03:30 > 0:03:32they perform in tasks set by the mentors.
0:03:32 > 0:03:36For now, our five novices are enjoying a tour around the museum's
0:03:36 > 0:03:41Impressionist Gallery, led by experienced guide Susan Greensmith.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43This is called The Kiss. You will have seen pictures of it.
0:03:43 > 0:03:47This is one copy of The Kiss.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50What they don't know yet is that this gallery,
0:03:50 > 0:03:54home to one of the world's finest art collections,
0:03:54 > 0:03:56is soon to be the location of their first task.
0:03:56 > 0:04:00I hope you're all listening very carefully to Susan's talk.
0:04:00 > 0:04:04Because, very soon, you will be doing something similar.
0:04:04 > 0:04:09Your first task is to give a guided tour to members of the public.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14You will have to give a presentation about Rodin's Kiss
0:04:14 > 0:04:17and one other work from the collection.
0:04:17 > 0:04:19Good luck.
0:04:19 > 0:04:22It's going to be a challenge.
0:04:22 > 0:04:27It's not something I've seen up close before, but I think I can...
0:04:27 > 0:04:30I'll have to bluff my way through, I think. It'll be fine.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33But will bluffing be enough?
0:04:33 > 0:04:38Rodin's Kiss is one of the museum's most popular exhibits.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41Depicting two lovers entwined in a passionate embrace,
0:04:41 > 0:04:44the sculpture was originally commissioned in marble
0:04:44 > 0:04:47by the French state in 1887,
0:04:47 > 0:04:52and this bronze edition is one of 12 officially approved by Rodin himself.
0:04:56 > 0:05:00Our exhibitionists must also choose a second work of art
0:05:00 > 0:05:03to show to a group as part of a guided tour.
0:05:04 > 0:05:08Newly-wed Julia is instantly drawn to Monet's Water Lilies.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12One of the most famous and valuable works in the museum,
0:05:12 > 0:05:15a similar painting by Claude Monet once sold at auction
0:05:15 > 0:05:17for £40 million.
0:05:20 > 0:05:23I haven't been married quite a year yet,
0:05:23 > 0:05:28and so our honeymoon was spent on a cruise around Britain.
0:05:28 > 0:05:33The last port of call was in France, and we went for a day trip
0:05:33 > 0:05:38here to Giverny, and so I was able to see these ponds
0:05:38 > 0:05:44and I've kind of got a personal story, and I felt that I could
0:05:44 > 0:05:47speak a bit easier about something that I was familiar with.
0:05:47 > 0:05:51Where Julia draws on personal experience,
0:05:51 > 0:05:54quizmaster Richard follows a more strategic route.
0:05:54 > 0:05:58I'm approaching it in the way I'd approach if I was writing a quiz, so
0:05:58 > 0:06:04I want everything that I tell people to be accurate, factual, but fun.
0:06:04 > 0:06:06I put a lot of fun into my quizzes.
0:06:06 > 0:06:11Richard's choice is Alfred Sisley's Storre's Rock
0:06:11 > 0:06:15a rare masterpiece, as the Impressionists painted mainly in France,
0:06:15 > 0:06:20but here the painter depicts a Welsh seascape - Langland Bay, in Gower.
0:06:22 > 0:06:25Efa and Colin have both selected similar paintings
0:06:25 > 0:06:27of busy industrial ports.
0:06:27 > 0:06:31Efa has chosen Sunset at Port Rouen in France
0:06:31 > 0:06:34painted by Camille Pissarro in 1898,
0:06:34 > 0:06:37while Colin has chosen The Thames at London,
0:06:37 > 0:06:40painted by Monet in 1871.
0:06:40 > 0:06:44Darren's choice is also a Monet, but with a slightly more
0:06:44 > 0:06:47romantic setting in this view of Venice.
0:06:49 > 0:06:51But Darren doesn't seem too impressed
0:06:51 > 0:06:54by the impressionist's technique.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57That's not even a particularly brilliant picture of a gondola.
0:06:57 > 0:07:01It's almost like a moustache halfway across the canvas.
0:07:01 > 0:07:05I think the worst thing that could happen is that I just dry up,
0:07:05 > 0:07:08have a panic attack and run out.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11But I don't thing that can happen. I think I can just, you know...
0:07:12 > 0:07:15I can go for it. I can do this, I'm a grown up.
0:07:19 > 0:07:24With their choices made, the exhibitionists have precious little time
0:07:24 > 0:07:25to swot up on their artworks.
0:07:28 > 0:07:32With only a few minutes to go before the start of their first task,
0:07:32 > 0:07:35the exhibitionists marshal their thoughts.
0:07:36 > 0:07:39But what do the mentors expect from them?
0:07:39 > 0:07:43I'd like a tour guide to be well-informed, enthusiastic,
0:07:43 > 0:07:45articulate.
0:07:45 > 0:07:50I want the guide to show me things that I would not have noticed,
0:07:50 > 0:07:52things that I might have taken for granted.
0:07:52 > 0:07:57They have to stand in the middle of a gallery in the National Museum,
0:07:57 > 0:08:01a place that they don't go to, that to them is alienating, in many ways,
0:08:01 > 0:08:05and I think that's really going to put a lot of stress on them.
0:08:06 > 0:08:10With preparation time over, it's now time to face the public,
0:08:10 > 0:08:14as the exhibitionists go about their first challenge.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19First up is student and singer, Efa.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22Will her performing skills hold her in good stead?
0:08:22 > 0:08:24Good afternoon.
0:08:24 > 0:08:28My name's Efa. I'm your tour guide for now.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31I want you, first, to look at this piece, The Kiss.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34If you want to walk around it with me,
0:08:34 > 0:08:36so you can get the full idea of this...
0:08:36 > 0:08:42Efa's walk and talk round The Kiss seems to impress the mentors.
0:08:42 > 0:08:47She brought the group into motion. She didn't stop.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50She came in in a movement, and the movement continued,
0:08:50 > 0:08:54so she insisted on that total view which is essential for sculpture.
0:08:54 > 0:08:59But as Richard begins his tour, nerves are more apparent.
0:09:00 > 0:09:07Er, it's based on a theme from Dante's Inferno, which,
0:09:07 > 0:09:12himself, based on the works of the Arthurian legend.
0:09:12 > 0:09:16The first 40, 50 seconds the heart's pounding, and then you think,
0:09:16 > 0:09:19"Just go. Just get it over with."
0:09:19 > 0:09:21There's an old trick with public speaking.
0:09:21 > 0:09:23Imagine the audience in their underwear.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26And I thought, "No, they're old people. I don't want to imagine that!"
0:09:26 > 0:09:30Paolo is a beefcake. He's slightly bigger.
0:09:30 > 0:09:32And, even though I'm a strapping lass...
0:09:32 > 0:09:34Julia oozes confidence,
0:09:34 > 0:09:37as she offers gives a slightly different perspective.
0:09:37 > 0:09:43Can I direct you to follow me around whilst we have a crafty look at their bottoms?
0:09:44 > 0:09:48She was really confident. She really engaged the audience.
0:09:48 > 0:09:50She was completely in command.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53And just as we get to the money shot,
0:09:53 > 0:09:58we can sort of see that there is something missing.
0:09:58 > 0:10:02Julia's preparation seems to be paying off.
0:10:02 > 0:10:05But Colin is struggling to remember the name of the second artist
0:10:05 > 0:10:07he's supposed to be talking about.
0:10:10 > 0:10:12I've got it here.
0:10:12 > 0:10:13Monet, sorry.
0:10:14 > 0:10:18I've got now. I know most about Monet, so I should be all right.
0:10:21 > 0:10:25After the initial nerves, there's no stopping quizmaster Richard
0:10:25 > 0:10:29sharing endless facts on Alfred Sisley's Gower seascape.
0:10:29 > 0:10:33They got married in 1897, in Cardiff City Hall,
0:10:33 > 0:10:38took their honeymoon on the Gower at a hotel that was the Osborne.
0:10:38 > 0:10:40At the time, it was one of the most luxurious hotels in Wales.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43He didn't like it, he thought the beds were lumpy,
0:10:43 > 0:10:45but he did a couple of sketches.
0:10:45 > 0:10:48I was impressed by the way he played to his strengths.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51He uses phenomenal powers of memory.
0:10:51 > 0:10:56In some ways, he engaged less with the work than with the biographical details.
0:10:56 > 0:11:01Whilst Richard uses facts and figures, Colin has a different approach.
0:11:02 > 0:11:04What do you think of it?
0:11:04 > 0:11:07I like it.
0:11:07 > 0:11:08Anybody else?
0:11:08 > 0:11:10I did think he did a very good job,
0:11:10 > 0:11:13but I think we didn't see enough of Colin.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16It's very difficult for you to paint something
0:11:16 > 0:11:18when you've got all them things in it.
0:11:18 > 0:11:22Gradually, he got involved with the painting,
0:11:22 > 0:11:27and it was a painting that seemed to speak to him, and he made me
0:11:27 > 0:11:31look at the painting again in a way that I hadn't looked at it before.
0:11:31 > 0:11:36Efa continues with her poetic interpretation of Pissaro's Port de Rouen.
0:11:36 > 0:11:40Obviously, there's always sunsets wherever you go.
0:11:40 > 0:11:42It's a bit like a line dance. Bear with me.
0:11:42 > 0:11:45And Julia keeps up the pace with her Water Lilies,
0:11:45 > 0:11:48but her tour technique is not to everyone's taste.
0:11:48 > 0:11:52I thought she was slightly over the top.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55A little bit, maybe, overconfident.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58Finally, it's Darren's turn.
0:11:58 > 0:12:00Hello, lovely people!
0:12:00 > 0:12:05My name's Darren and I'm going to be showing you a couple of
0:12:05 > 0:12:08exhibits here in the Impressionist collection.
0:12:08 > 0:12:12This is the Rodin. It's one of his early works.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15Perhaps you'd all like to gather around and have a bit
0:12:15 > 0:12:20of a closer look, get a bit closer so you can see a little bit better.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23Having said that he might have to bluff his way through
0:12:23 > 0:12:26the first task, Darren starts confidently.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29He made several copies of it.
0:12:29 > 0:12:31Erm...
0:12:31 > 0:12:32He...
0:12:35 > 0:12:37Sorry, I've clammed up.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40Keep going, OK, OK. Just...
0:12:47 > 0:12:49Don't clam up.
0:12:49 > 0:12:53Initially, he stumbled quite badly. He dried up.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56He was saved by kind member of the public.
0:12:56 > 0:13:00Yes, sorry. Thank you very much. Yes, thank you very much.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02I'll get into the swing of it.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05And he responded to that by treating that woman as the most
0:13:05 > 0:13:08important person in the world while he talked about the Rodin.
0:13:08 > 0:13:09He didn't look away from her.
0:13:09 > 0:13:13I think I could do with being a little less stressed.
0:13:13 > 0:13:16But I'm really wanting to stay in this.
0:13:16 > 0:13:19I'd like to stay at least a little bit longer.
0:13:19 > 0:13:22With the first task over,
0:13:22 > 0:13:25the exhibitionists face an anxious wait
0:13:25 > 0:13:28to find out how they performed as tour guides,
0:13:28 > 0:13:30but before that, there's a second task awaiting them.
0:13:32 > 0:13:34Led by Oliver Fairclough,
0:13:34 > 0:13:36the head of the museum's art collection,
0:13:36 > 0:13:40the exhibitionists now embark on a journey down to the vaults,
0:13:40 > 0:13:44where the mentors present them with their second challenge.
0:13:44 > 0:13:48This task is much harder on the exhibitionists.
0:13:48 > 0:13:50I think what I'm looking for is
0:13:50 > 0:13:53a kind of fearless approach to this.
0:13:53 > 0:13:55Two of the men, in particular,
0:13:55 > 0:13:57found it difficult presenting
0:13:57 > 0:13:58in front of an audience,
0:13:58 > 0:13:59and I think, for that reason,
0:13:59 > 0:14:01they have extra work to do in order
0:14:01 > 0:14:03to increase their chances of going
0:14:03 > 0:14:05through to the final stages.
0:14:05 > 0:14:10Your next task presents you with a unique opportunity.
0:14:10 > 0:14:15Our novice curators can choose any two artworks from the secure underground stores.
0:14:19 > 0:14:24They will then present the two works, discussing their merits and how they relate to each other.
0:14:24 > 0:14:27This is a difficult challenge. Good luck.
0:14:30 > 0:14:37Guided by the expert curating staff, the exhibitionists are taken further into the depths of the museum.
0:14:37 > 0:14:42These specialised stores contain thousands of artworks which are rarely exhibited.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47Our five can choose any two works they wish for the show-and-tell
0:14:47 > 0:14:52presentation, be it sculpture, ceramics or paintings.
0:14:52 > 0:14:58It sort of dawned on me, there, the power that the curator has.
0:14:58 > 0:15:05The power that is not just about what is on show, but what could be shown.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08- So, shall we get some gloves on, Darren?- Yeah.
0:15:08 > 0:15:09Purple or green?
0:15:09 > 0:15:11Purple.
0:15:11 > 0:15:15Darren has chosen to see the ceramics stores with curator Rachel Conroy.
0:15:15 > 0:15:19It blew me away to just walk into the room,
0:15:19 > 0:15:21and it was just like, "Oh, my God!
0:15:21 > 0:15:24Everything I've ever wanted to see, and it's all in one room."
0:15:24 > 0:15:27It's just fantastic. It was wonderful.
0:15:27 > 0:15:29And with your interest in flowers...
0:15:29 > 0:15:30Flowers, yes.
0:15:30 > 0:15:33..I really wanted to show you some pieces
0:15:33 > 0:15:35from this wonderful dessert service.
0:15:35 > 0:15:40Keeper of Art Oliver Fairclough shows Efa some romantic landscapes,
0:15:40 > 0:15:43but she has her eye on other things.
0:15:43 > 0:15:44What's that?
0:15:44 > 0:15:48We have many, many views. We're getting better, aren't we?
0:15:48 > 0:15:54These are pictures commissioned by the National Coal Board in the 70s.
0:15:55 > 0:15:57He's from South America.
0:15:57 > 0:16:03Colin is taken by curator Melissa Munro to see some mix media works in the contemporary store.
0:16:03 > 0:16:07And, just in here, you can see there's dead flies.
0:16:07 > 0:16:09Most of the old art I like.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12Landscape, anything to do with the country.
0:16:12 > 0:16:17Modern art, abstract,
0:16:17 > 0:16:19doesn't turn me on at all.
0:16:19 > 0:16:21What do you think of the painting? Do you like it?
0:16:21 > 0:16:22Erm.
0:16:24 > 0:16:27I'm not a contemporary follower, don't get me wrong,
0:16:27 > 0:16:29but a lot of people like it...
0:16:29 > 0:16:35and...it's completely different, you know.
0:16:35 > 0:16:37It's different.
0:16:38 > 0:16:40Very different, in fact.
0:16:40 > 0:16:43Whilst Colin is yet to decide on his selection,
0:16:43 > 0:16:47Darren has found something he really loves.
0:16:47 > 0:16:49Plates.
0:16:49 > 0:16:51We've got over 40 pieces of this service which was originally
0:16:51 > 0:16:53made for the Marques of Exeter.
0:16:53 > 0:16:58These rare surviving pieces of early-19th century Nantgarw china
0:16:58 > 0:17:03are considered to be some of the most valuable artefacts ever produced in Wales,
0:17:03 > 0:17:09and are among the most exquisite examples of British Porcelain ever made.
0:17:09 > 0:17:12These are actually irreplaceable, aren't they?
0:17:12 > 0:17:13Yes.
0:17:13 > 0:17:16I'm a little nervous about this, because normally you
0:17:16 > 0:17:18go into a shop and it says, "Nice to have, nice to hold.
0:17:18 > 0:17:21"Once broken, considered sold," which is fine.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24Don't worry, Darren. It'll be fine.
0:17:24 > 0:17:26You can tell me what you think about it.
0:17:26 > 0:17:28I think it's interesting that we know that this was
0:17:28 > 0:17:31made for a particular person. It's always nice to have that.
0:17:31 > 0:17:32That provenance.
0:17:32 > 0:17:33That provenance, yes.
0:17:33 > 0:17:35What do you think about the flower painting?
0:17:35 > 0:17:36That's beautiful.
0:17:36 > 0:17:40The way that they've captured the rose.
0:17:40 > 0:17:44And all the little hairs. The quality is just.
0:17:44 > 0:17:46It's extremely fine.
0:17:46 > 0:17:47It's exquisite, isn't it?
0:17:47 > 0:17:49Fabulous.
0:17:49 > 0:17:50I'm glad that you like it.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54Wow. That's a bit erotic!
0:17:56 > 0:17:57We'll have that out.
0:17:57 > 0:18:01It's by a lady, as well.
0:18:01 > 0:18:03Of Salome.
0:18:03 > 0:18:05Oh, of biblical fame?
0:18:05 > 0:18:06Yes, absolutely.
0:18:06 > 0:18:07Yes.
0:18:07 > 0:18:09She doesn't look very biblical, does she?
0:18:09 > 0:18:12Well, I think that was maybe her problem.
0:18:12 > 0:18:17While curator Ann Prichard has Julia's interests in the palm of her hand,
0:18:17 > 0:18:20curator Beth MacIntyre has found a couple of rare prints
0:18:20 > 0:18:23on a subject close to Richard's heart.
0:18:23 > 0:18:28This is by an artist called Eric Malthouse.
0:18:28 > 0:18:31And it's 1956.
0:18:31 > 0:18:35Richard's father was a pigeon fancier, and he's instantly
0:18:35 > 0:18:39taken with the prints, evoking fond memories of his childhood.
0:18:39 > 0:18:40Flat cap, obviously.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43He holds his hand out, and I can remember my dad put
0:18:43 > 0:18:46a handful of seed, the birds would come in from the race.
0:18:46 > 0:18:50You've got to get them in as fast as you can, because it's all timed.
0:18:50 > 0:18:51My father has passed away now,
0:18:51 > 0:18:54but he was very much into racing pigeons all through his life,
0:18:54 > 0:19:00from a boy during the Second World War up until his late 50s, early 60s.
0:19:00 > 0:19:03I can remember my dad standing there, Saturday morning,
0:19:03 > 0:19:06waiting for his one pigeon to come home.
0:19:06 > 0:19:10In the largest painting store, Efa wastes no time in letting
0:19:10 > 0:19:13Oliver know just what she's looking for.
0:19:14 > 0:19:16So this is Welsh as well?
0:19:16 > 0:19:17- Oh, yes.- Cool.
0:19:17 > 0:19:20Like, the kind of art I really like is art that talks
0:19:20 > 0:19:24about ordinary people and their lives, so I think this one certainly does.
0:19:24 > 0:19:27It's not a beautiful seascape, or anything.
0:19:29 > 0:19:30That's how things were at that time.
0:19:33 > 0:19:35With the selection done,
0:19:35 > 0:19:39the works are carefully taken from the secure stores up to the conservation room,
0:19:39 > 0:19:42ready to be presented to the mentors.
0:19:43 > 0:19:45We are able to stand aside.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48We are able to put personal opinion to one side
0:19:48 > 0:19:53and see a value which doesn't depend necessarily on our personal taste.
0:19:53 > 0:19:55So, with personal taste kept in check,
0:19:55 > 0:19:59what will the mentors think of Darren's chosen works?
0:19:59 > 0:20:02What are the connections between them?
0:20:02 > 0:20:05The two choices I've made, I made them
0:20:05 > 0:20:07because they were personal to me.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11The dish from the Nantgarw Chinaworks is joined
0:20:11 > 0:20:15by Iris & Roses by Matthew Smith.
0:20:15 > 0:20:17Erm.
0:20:17 > 0:20:18I'll start by...
0:20:18 > 0:20:22When I first saw the two pieces that Darren had selected,
0:20:22 > 0:20:23I was disappointed.
0:20:24 > 0:20:30Because a while ago, I thought about what Darren might select,
0:20:30 > 0:20:33and I was a bit worried that he'd select flowers.
0:20:33 > 0:20:39The obvious connection, I think, is, obviously, they're flowers,
0:20:39 > 0:20:41but I think that's a bit too obvious.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44I want to take this home.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47I really want to take this home, and in actual fact, I have something
0:20:47 > 0:20:52very similar in the china cabinet at home, but not a piece like this.
0:20:52 > 0:20:54So, with Darren's choices failing to impress,
0:20:54 > 0:20:56it's on to Efa, who's chosen a self-portrait
0:20:56 > 0:21:02by one of Wales's leading living painters, Shani Rhys James,
0:21:02 > 0:21:06and the 1953 Street Scene Cardiff by Colin Allen.
0:21:06 > 0:21:10The choice itself was a startling, interesting and original one.
0:21:10 > 0:21:15We had this saturated colour, and it was bright and bold,
0:21:15 > 0:21:17and it made me think of Efa, as well.
0:21:17 > 0:21:18It looked a bit like her.
0:21:18 > 0:21:20I chose both these pictures
0:21:20 > 0:21:24because I thought there's a distinctive style with both of them.
0:21:24 > 0:21:29The works I have chosen are modern and Welsh and quite weird,
0:21:29 > 0:21:31which is the kind of thing I like.
0:21:31 > 0:21:33I don't want a nice painting of a landscape the way it looks,
0:21:33 > 0:21:35because now you can just take a picture.
0:21:35 > 0:21:39Josef Herman's Mother and Daughter is Colin's first choice
0:21:39 > 0:21:43and his second, Vincent Evans' Repairing Main Road.
0:21:43 > 0:21:45It's quite obvious which one he prefers.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48He's the type of painter, you either love him or hate him.
0:21:48 > 0:21:50You've got to look at his pictures.
0:21:50 > 0:21:52The colours are almost always the same,
0:21:52 > 0:21:55and most of them are like a scribble.
0:21:55 > 0:22:00The other one, Evans has painted with more definition, and you
0:22:00 > 0:22:05could understand that far better than you would with the Herman.
0:22:05 > 0:22:08I thought it was interesting hearing him describing
0:22:08 > 0:22:11the work of Herman, who is what we might call an expressionist,
0:22:11 > 0:22:16and at the same time, describing his admiration for Vincent Evans,
0:22:16 > 0:22:18who is an extremely traditional painter,
0:22:18 > 0:22:21painting in the way that most people feel comfortable with.
0:22:21 > 0:22:26I would like, at this stage, the exhibitionists to be telling me
0:22:26 > 0:22:30how the works and the way they're made make them feel.
0:22:30 > 0:22:33Maybe it is too much to ask, but that's what I'd like.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36Having spent a long time in the sculpture store,
0:22:36 > 0:22:39Julia eventually plumped for two paintings,
0:22:39 > 0:22:43and, like Efa, she chose one by Shani Rhys James
0:22:43 > 0:22:44and another by Brenda Chamberlain.
0:22:44 > 0:22:49When I saw the second of my choices,
0:22:49 > 0:22:53I had an emotional reaction, and I had some tears.
0:22:53 > 0:22:57She did very well. She presented well, I thought.
0:22:57 > 0:23:00She was not overconfident, but confident.
0:23:00 > 0:23:02She knew what she was talking about.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05She felt both of the paintings quite deeply.
0:23:05 > 0:23:08When I said about the strength in the piece,
0:23:08 > 0:23:10I wonder if that is what's coming across, there.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13I think that Julia just needs to explore more fully,
0:23:13 > 0:23:17but she's incredibly open and ready to do that,
0:23:17 > 0:23:20and really taking on board the task.
0:23:20 > 0:23:24I just don't know which way she's going to go, sometimes, Julia.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28Quiz aficionado Richard impressed the mentors with his memory
0:23:28 > 0:23:32in the first task, but it's memories of his father
0:23:32 > 0:23:37which has made him connect with two pigeon paintings in this task.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40When I talk about my father, I do become emotional.
0:23:40 > 0:23:43It's coming up now, the anniversary of his death,
0:23:43 > 0:23:46so I hope I can make it come across sensibly.
0:23:46 > 0:23:51I wouldn't want to embarrass his memory by presenting something stupid.
0:23:51 > 0:23:53It will be hard, but I'm sure I can get through it.
0:23:53 > 0:23:56I hope I can.
0:23:56 > 0:24:01I've chosen these completely contrasting works of art.
0:24:01 > 0:24:05Richard has chosen Boy Flying Pigeons by Eric Malthouse
0:24:05 > 0:24:08and Pigeon House by George Chapman.
0:24:08 > 0:24:12And they both depict something that's close to my heart - the sport of racing pigeons.
0:24:12 > 0:24:15My late father was an avid racing pigeon fan.
0:24:15 > 0:24:18I think the choice of works was surprising with Richard,
0:24:18 > 0:24:21because when we saw him in the last task,
0:24:21 > 0:24:24he was amazing in terms of facts, but now he's really
0:24:24 > 0:24:28moved on to something which is really important to him.
0:24:28 > 0:24:31Now, as a young lad, I actually used to do this with my own father,
0:24:31 > 0:24:34so it does evoke fond memories.
0:24:34 > 0:24:36You could feel the emotional power of that work,
0:24:36 > 0:24:39in terms of his own life and his own experience.
0:24:39 > 0:24:41That was a very moving moment, I think.
0:24:41 > 0:24:44Thank you, Richard. That's really great, thanks.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47With the second task completed, it's been a tough start
0:24:47 > 0:24:51for the exhibitionists, but the tensest moment is yet to come.
0:24:51 > 0:24:53The elimination.
0:24:59 > 0:25:03I think we got a picture now of who is possibly going through
0:25:03 > 0:25:05and who might be possibly not going through.
0:25:05 > 0:25:10I think, overall, I think I'm probably third, maybe.
0:25:10 > 0:25:14I feel that maybe that one, overall,
0:25:14 > 0:25:17made a stronger and more interesting case.
0:25:17 > 0:25:22And maybe has moved further from task one to two.
0:25:22 > 0:25:25I've enjoyed myself so much, learned so much, it would be sad
0:25:25 > 0:25:27if I went out of it now.
0:25:27 > 0:25:29We've all got our own different strengths and weaknesses.
0:25:29 > 0:25:32I think my weakness, I get emotional,
0:25:32 > 0:25:35but it's about something I'm passionate about.
0:25:44 > 0:25:48Our exhibitionists return to Gallery 24,
0:25:48 > 0:25:52where two of the five will eventually hang their own show.
0:25:54 > 0:25:59But tonight, for one of our five, it's the end of the road.
0:26:03 > 0:26:09Firstly, we'd like to congratulate you. You did wonderfully well.
0:26:09 > 0:26:10Julia.
0:26:10 > 0:26:12You're strong and confident,
0:26:12 > 0:26:16but sometimes we worry that that confidence is too much.
0:26:17 > 0:26:21Colin, you linked your choices with your personal history,
0:26:21 > 0:26:27but sometimes you fail to see the abstract values that the objects and paintings contained.
0:26:27 > 0:26:32Richard, you're amazing with facts, but we need some more of you
0:26:32 > 0:26:34and your ideas in this process.
0:26:34 > 0:26:39Efa, your presentations were enthralling,
0:26:39 > 0:26:42but there were times when you lost focus.
0:26:43 > 0:26:47Darren, you're wonderful with the audiences,
0:26:47 > 0:26:49you're a really warm personality,
0:26:49 > 0:26:52but we want you to look outside of that,
0:26:52 > 0:26:56become more of a curator and less of a collector.
0:26:58 > 0:27:03Unfortunately, tonight, one of you will have to leave.
0:27:09 > 0:27:13Colin, I'm afraid that person is you.
0:27:19 > 0:27:20Five have now become four...
0:27:22 > 0:27:25..but only two will eventually go head to head
0:27:25 > 0:27:29to become the National Museum's first exhibitionist.
0:27:33 > 0:27:35It did come as a bit of a shock, because I didn't think
0:27:35 > 0:27:39I was as bad as what they said, you know, but it's one of them things.
0:27:39 > 0:27:43That was a really difficult choice, but unfortunately,
0:27:43 > 0:27:46we had to vote one person off.
0:27:46 > 0:27:49It was that idea that Colin had perhaps shown a little less
0:27:49 > 0:27:50potential than the others
0:27:50 > 0:27:53that made him, in the end, the inevitable choice.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00I think it's going to be a real challenge next.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03That means two of us won't be exhibiting in this space,
0:28:03 > 0:28:07and two of us will.
0:28:07 > 0:28:10Next time...
0:28:10 > 0:28:13the remaining four play house...
0:28:13 > 0:28:16Guys, guys, guys. Organised chaos.
0:28:16 > 0:28:20..while personality clashes cause havoc in the hanging task.
0:28:20 > 0:28:23Well, you say its pre-war, and I'll have to go with what you say,
0:28:23 > 0:28:25because I have no knowledge...
0:28:25 > 0:28:28Hang on, hang on. What about the faction?
0:28:28 > 0:28:32To see the artworks featured in this programme in more detail,
0:28:32 > 0:28:39go to the website and click on The Exhibitionists.
0:28:48 > 0:28:51Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd