I have been focusing on my thesis
lately, I haven’t had much time to blog, so I decided that if I went around
to view some exhibitions it might give me the spark to start writing again on
my blog. I have to say writing a thesis is like climbing a mountain; it is
challenging to focus on other different writing on top of the thesis, lectures
and producing work. I was walking around central London as a way to relax and
by chance I found myself again at the Hauser and Wirth Gallery at the back of
Bond Street; the current exhibition is by Pipilotti Rist, titled ‘Worry Will Vanish’.
Inside the gallery I actually bumped into another art student in my course who
is currently working with them, after having a chat with her I decided to
plunge myself behind a dark curtain to see what was going on. I was asked to
remove my shoes before going in. The exhibition is divided into two sections,
the first section is in the entrance/reception; in the middle of it is a
seating area where you can take off your shoes, opposite this is the branch of
tree with a video with the artist free falling into space which I thought was
great. I actually enjoyed this smaller piece better than the larger all
enveloping projection. The second section is actually the main gallery, on the
floors were large cushions and in front of me were two huge screens. The room
was full of people lying down on the cushions, some were looking at the screens
others were literally sleeping and one art student was sitting straight and
taking notes.
The Projection is based on three-dimensional animation and it’s a voyage inside the body; to tell you honestly I didn’t realise it was three D animation - that’s what it said in the leaflet, but to me some of the images were real and also mixed with computer generated design. On the screens images of nature and bodies were over-lapping, at one moment we were inside a nostril, at others we were in a field because the projection is so big you literally feel inside of it; all the images are done close up even of the artist herself naked; it felt new age and combined with calming music a bit trippy due to the image being so close up. Like a dance between what goes on inside and outside, images of nature and a connection to the Universe it was for a lot of viewers deeply relaxing. The Gallery Assistant did warn me that the videos might induce sleep, I told her not in my case there is no way I am going to fall asleep in here, I felt the room was to warm and I don’t really enjoy being in a dark room full of people with no air.
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The music accompanying the videos was by Anders Guggisberg and was very relaxing due to its repetitive mellow sounds. I wasn’t really surprised people were falling asleep. Pipilotti’s installation is supposed to be experienced by the audience, firstly by removing one shoes then by exploring the space inside. I was wondering what if I didn’t want to remove my shoes - would they let me into the exhibition/installation space? The removing of the shoes is for people apparently to release their social inhibition but I really didn’t feel I was releasing anything by taking off my shoes – I just felt rather uncomfortable. I kind of felt forced to do so and I didn’t like it. Because there are cushions on the floor basically you are as a viewer guided to experience the projection from a certain angle and in a certain way as you would be lying down. I felt this was manipulative but a lot of people really enjoyed the experience and the room was full, while I just wanted to make a run for the door. I was questioning the experience of lying down in a gallery looking at bodies and nature - yes it felt like being inside of a movie like when I went at the Imax to watch a Bond Movie, but I mean one can go outside and have this experience for real; at the same time the intertwining of texture, bodies, nature in the videos was excellent and the same goes for the music - you can tell she has been working in videos for a while as they are very well executed, they have pace, rhythm.
The videos are based on auto genetic training to facilitate relaxation, developed in 1932 by the German psychiatrist Johannes Heinrich Schultz, (which would do in most people but not for me - I didn’t feel relaxed at all) so that the viewer is receptive to new ideas. While I felt that I was pushed to behave and feel in a certain way most people wouldn’t mind this if is to bring relaxation, they will go happily along with it and enjoy it. Anyway I didn’t stay long so I went back to the reception where there was a small video installation entitled Stone Skyscraper (2014). I always like to check where an artist has studied and in her case she studied at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna and at the School of Design in Basel. I found her videos interesting and inspiring I wish I could do more videos at University or be taught video making at University. Below is Stone Skyscraper: a miniaturised Skyscraper carved from sandstone with a video projected on the surface, colour is a strong feature in her work.
The Projection is based on three-dimensional animation and it’s a voyage inside the body; to tell you honestly I didn’t realise it was three D animation - that’s what it said in the leaflet, but to me some of the images were real and also mixed with computer generated design. On the screens images of nature and bodies were over-lapping, at one moment we were inside a nostril, at others we were in a field because the projection is so big you literally feel inside of it; all the images are done close up even of the artist herself naked; it felt new age and combined with calming music a bit trippy due to the image being so close up. Like a dance between what goes on inside and outside, images of nature and a connection to the Universe it was for a lot of viewers deeply relaxing. The Gallery Assistant did warn me that the videos might induce sleep, I told her not in my case there is no way I am going to fall asleep in here, I felt the room was to warm and I don’t really enjoy being in a dark room full of people with no air.
The music accompanying the videos was by Anders Guggisberg and was very relaxing due to its repetitive mellow sounds. I wasn’t really surprised people were falling asleep. Pipilotti’s installation is supposed to be experienced by the audience, firstly by removing one shoes then by exploring the space inside. I was wondering what if I didn’t want to remove my shoes - would they let me into the exhibition/installation space? The removing of the shoes is for people apparently to release their social inhibition but I really didn’t feel I was releasing anything by taking off my shoes – I just felt rather uncomfortable. I kind of felt forced to do so and I didn’t like it. Because there are cushions on the floor basically you are as a viewer guided to experience the projection from a certain angle and in a certain way as you would be lying down. I felt this was manipulative but a lot of people really enjoyed the experience and the room was full, while I just wanted to make a run for the door. I was questioning the experience of lying down in a gallery looking at bodies and nature - yes it felt like being inside of a movie like when I went at the Imax to watch a Bond Movie, but I mean one can go outside and have this experience for real; at the same time the intertwining of texture, bodies, nature in the videos was excellent and the same goes for the music - you can tell she has been working in videos for a while as they are very well executed, they have pace, rhythm.
The videos are based on auto genetic training to facilitate relaxation, developed in 1932 by the German psychiatrist Johannes Heinrich Schultz, (which would do in most people but not for me - I didn’t feel relaxed at all) so that the viewer is receptive to new ideas. While I felt that I was pushed to behave and feel in a certain way most people wouldn’t mind this if is to bring relaxation, they will go happily along with it and enjoy it. Anyway I didn’t stay long so I went back to the reception where there was a small video installation entitled Stone Skyscraper (2014). I always like to check where an artist has studied and in her case she studied at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna and at the School of Design in Basel. I found her videos interesting and inspiring I wish I could do more videos at University or be taught video making at University. Below is Stone Skyscraper: a miniaturised Skyscraper carved from sandstone with a video projected on the surface, colour is a strong feature in her work.
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