Tagged: exhibition
Look closer
The Lawrence Alkin Gallery has exhibited terrific work; I remember one highly enjoyable group exhibition they put together at Shoreditch House last year. One of the artists represented was Glasgow-born Nick Smith; recently he had a new exhibition open at the gallery itself on New Compton Street.
Called Paramour, Smith’s work is inspired by erotic literature and uses his pantone-like “colour-chip” methodology: dozens of colour blocks forming an alluring image; for Paramour, it’s mostly female nudes.
The artist greets a friend
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But look closer: the words beneath the colours aren’t tone names, but narratives (Fanny Hill’s memoirs, Shakespeare’s sonnets) or slang (for sexual positions or breasts); one can’t be too certain until one studies an image very closely. The effect is sexy and funny and at times romantic.
Smith’s work is widely varied, but Paramour follows a certain theme. At one point, I chatted with other attendees about what words he should use next: Georges Bataille’s Story of the Eye? Who knows where he’ll go next?
Paramour will be in exhibition until April 16 2016.
Virtual reality
I was invited to the magnificently appointed Canada House recently for an evening of performance and virtual reality, curated by Montreal’s Phi Centre. I remember a little of the former virtual reality boom in the 90s, but seeing new promotions in recent film festivals points to this technology entering a new wave.
The slightly odd-looking glowing boxes at the bottom of the picture played images into headsets. I got to use one: it showed work by Vincent & Paul Studios, depicting Nomads: Herders – nomadic yak herders in Mongolia. It was like watching a 360 degree audio-visual representation of another world: everywhere I turned; the ground; the sky; left; right, was depicted. What next? Walking through these landscapes? Tactility? Memories of Wild Palms came to mind.
We were then invited to a function room for a musical event: artist Myriam Bleau using wireless acrylic spinning tops to play samples a piece called Soft Revolvers…
After a panel discussion on VR, we returned for another performance by laptop DJs playing music and motion graphics…
Sadly, I couldn’t remember the artists names (help, anyone?) but it was a riveting end to a fascinating evening.
The virtual reality garden will continue at Canada House (visits are free) with periodically changing artists, until mid-March next year.
Architectural dreams
One rainy Tuesday morning, I cycled between appointments to the Royal Academy to see their Sensing Spaces exhibition.
Herein, seven architects were commissioned to create installations that responded to the Royal Academy’s main galleries. They did this with light and structures that were a delight to see, walk around and interact with.
For some reason, I left my regular camera at home, so I relied on my mobile phone for photos of some pieces.
Li Xiaodong formed a labyrinth of branches, timber and pebbles to create and environment to sense as much as walk through.
Grafton Architects (Shelly McNamara and Yvonne Farrell) built a suspended concrete structure, which light passed through to make spaces on the ground as well as tone the stone above.
Pezo von Ellrichshausen (Maurice Pezo and Sofia von Ellrichshausen) constructed a magnificent four columned platform, with a viewing gallery on top, accessible by both stairs and sloping walkway.
Kengo Kuma used light and wire to create this patterned space.
I finished my tour with Diébédo Francis Kéré’s interactive structure: an arch made of porous material, through which one was encouraged to insert coloured straws however one saw fit, making an ever changing structure. My contribution, a dark green straw bent into a triangle, is near the top of the last picture.
Tomorrow is today
If, at any point, you are considering an exhibition to see in London between now and the beginning of next year, you must go to see the installation Tomorrow at the Victoria and Albert Museum.
The V&A is my favourite museum. Containing items of design, architecture, sculpture, costume and furniture from around the world, I love visiting it regularly, looking for new areas: I try only a couple of rooms at a time; any more would be too much beauty to take in.
On one such visit, I saw a number of small hoardings, pointing out that “Tomorrow” was taking place in a certain area of the museum: “Tomorrow?” I wondered, “What could that be?” Off I went to find out.
It was an installation, by Scandinavian artist duo Michael Elmgreen and Ingar Dragset, and was spread over several of the V&A former textile galleries. The artists, using various objects from the museum’s wide collection, transformed the galleries into an elaborate South Kensington apartment. Therein, they told a story.
How? By making this apartment belong to a fictional architect called Norman Swann, looking back in anger on his life. Visitors to the exhibition, with the use of a screenplay picked up at the entrance, could walk through this apartment reading scenes set in the dining area, bedroom, kitchen and study. One would walk through the exhibition making a film about Mr. Swann in one’s own head. The effect was mesmerising.
One isn’t allowed to take photographs in the exhibition and that’s fine: having photos taken while one walks through this installation would be incredibly disturbing. (The photos included here are scanned from the screenplay that you pick up at the start of the installation.) Also I don’t think that one needs to: the exhibits, the screenplay, actors therein and one’s own imagination makes Tomorrow completely memorable.
Along with the Dalston House and the Sultan’s Elephant, I must admit that I’m a big fan of art installations. I wonder what else is or will be out there to experience?
Burning Details 
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