EXHIBITION UNIT – RESEARCH (LUX EXHIBITION, 180 THE STRAND) – Sound Arts

I visited the exhibition titled ‘Lux: New Wave of Contemporary Art’ at 180 The Strand with my friend who studies interactive design. It was good to go with someone who was looking at the show in a similar way to me, because it meant we had a lot of good conversation revolving around the art. The other exhibitions I went to were contained to a single artist and were driven by a quite clear conceptual direction, whereas this was a collection of 13 works by 12 artists which created a more varied experience. The overriding theme was light, and every installation fell somewhere within the spectrum of light. Some were more thematic and others purely dealt with fresh and innovative techniques within audio-visual art.

The artists included in the exhibition were:

iart Studio
Es Devlin
Julianknxx
a’strict
Carsten Nicolai
Cecilia Bengolea
Hito Steyerl
Cao Yuxi
Universal Everything
Je Baak
Refik Anadol
Random International

I found the show inspiring in so many ways. Some of the experiences I had were completely unlike anything I’ve seen; truly innovative and boundary pushing. Techniques such as 3D projection mapping, neural networks, quantum computing and algorithmic visualisation are becoming more and more integrated in contemporary art, as the art world continues to grow alongside the evolution of technology. In no way do I know how any of this was done, but that is beautiful to me because it opened my eyes to a entirely new way of approaching audio-visual artwork, which is something I want to immerse myself in more and more as I grow as an artist.

I won’t touch on every installation because some of them didn’t really excite me compared to others and while I appreciated the innovation in every piece, I can’t lie and say I enjoyed all of them. In my opinion, there were a couple, such as Hiyo Steyerl’s ‘This is the Future’ that I found cluttered and overly stimulating. This may be because this was one of the last pieces I saw, so possibly my mind was influenced by the works I had just seen.

However, almost all of them I loved. ‘Starry Beach’ by a’strict was one of the most surreal experiences I had during my visit, with high-definition projections of waves crashing up and down the walls and floor. It was such a peaceful space, and mirrors either side of the back wall meant that there was an illusion that you were completely consumed by these fluid visuals. Mirrors seemed to be quite a common theme across many installations, as they usually served as a way to expand the image and make the room feel much bigger. Another piece that utilised this mirror technique was Carsten Nicolai’s ‘unicolor’, which examined the psychology of colour perception. It was a really simple and effective installation, and the mirrors either side of the strip of changing colour created an infinite corridor either side. This is a really simple trick that I definitely want to consider when drawing out some ideas.

VIDEOS –

Starry Beach –https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mm35mtru46Nd3FIdHm0ZuIKZsoq2ASJ5/view?usp=sharing

unicolor – https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TJhLE-pawGwqsoyN4Xytbivpi8G6EjJt/view?usp=sharing

Another example that utilised mirrors, and probably my favourite out of all the installations, was ‘Renaissance Generative Dreams’ (2021) by Refik Anadol. This was the piece that inspired me the most, as I was just awe-struck by the ingenuity and concept behind it. The piece emerged from experiments with turning visual and textural datasets of Renaissance painting and sculpture into multidimensional art pieces. The AI machine would reimagine these historical works and as it did the pieces would change shape and colour, offering an insight into the machine’s data universe. I found the idea of reinterpreting traces of art history so refreshing and exciting, because this piece emphasised the power of artificial intelligence and how it can be used to elevate existing work as well as creating new art.

VIDEO – Renaissance Generative Dreams – https://drive.google.com/file/d/10zv82wLjXUjC4cezjRqODA-M2PCvyCCs/view?usp=sharing

There was one piece that I found so intriguing and it was the installation that I experienced for the longest amount of time, which goes to show how captivating it was. Titled ‘Transfiguration’ (2020) by Universal Everything, the video shows a CGI giant walking and changing form. The giant went from wood to air to fire to water to rock and many more materials, with the sound reflecting the footsteps. There would be harsh, hollow sounding timbres when the giant was made of wood, and then this would transition into the fluid, calming sound of water for example. The attention to detail was incredible and I thought it was a really inventive way of approaching an exhibition. A very simple end product but a hugely complex process that went into it.

VIDEO – Transfiguration – https://drive.google.com/file/d/1AhishromlV4ZTr3vu2noP34WI3EwRWDF/view?usp=sharing

The final work I want to mention is a piece by Es Devlin called ‘BLUESKYWHITE’ (2021). Split into two parts, the grandest installation in the whole show is drawn from the issue of global warming. Part one is a 24 metre long red-lit tunnel that is scored by audible text from Byron’s 1816 poem ‘Darkness’. The idea was to recreate the sky after the Mount Tambora eruption in 1815, which released over 100,000,000 tonnes of gas and particles into the air, resulting in a dimming of the sun and intensely red skies at sunset, as well as a reduction of the earth’s temperature by 3 degrees celsius.

Part two references solar geo-engineering models documented by Elizabeth Kolbert which suggest a haze of suspended particles might reduce the earth’s temperature and turn the blue sky white. I found the concept and use of space fascinating, because it is referencing an increasingly worrying problem in global warming, and offering an interesting solution through an intricately crafted art show. I find art can often be a great entry point into certain topics that a lot of people overlook, because it can depict a subject in a way that is so transparent and explicit that it incites an emotional response. This particular work used what Adam Basanta described as a ‘closed space’ – a space that is limited by architectural barriers. The first part is a hallway and the second a small room with screens, mirrors (again) and seating. Upon experiencing both open and closed spaces at this exhibition, they really do offer different experiences. The closed spaces often had more of an intimate feeling and often felt more immersive, like I was in the work itself.