London 2019
Outside of work a large amount of my time is spent reading and taking in artists’ work. 2019 was a banner year for this. One of my favorite trips was London. I’ve listed my experiences below in the hope that you might be able to have a similar experience in 2021. For a rundown of my experiences in NY click here.
After working with MLF on Thorne, I wanted to pay them a visit and learn from the incredible immersive art scene that inspires them. Barney & Ersin did not disappoint providing me with an incredible itinerary to explore.
The Store X
My first stop was The Store, a new kind of experiential space that transcends our expectations of traditional retail, beyond shopping. Their programs encompass fashion, art, design and more, engaging a global community of innovators and curious creatives.
When I visited there were two incredible exhibits:
Other Spaces by United Visual Artists
An exhibition by the multi-disciplinary collective UVA, in collaboration with the Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain, Paris. Featuring three large-scale installations – Our Time, The Great Animal Orchestra and Vanishing Point.
My favorite piece was The Great Animal Orchestra, which did an incredible job of amplifying Burnie Krause’s work. I’ve posted a video below that goes in depth quickly, but if you want to learn more later, I recommend listening to this.
Transformer: A Rebirth of Wonder
An exhibition curated by Jefferson Hack featuring work by: Doug Aitken, Sophia Al-Maria & Victoria Sin, Korakrit Arunanondchai, Donna Huanca, Juliana Huxtable, Evan Ifekoya, Dozie Kanu, Quentin Lacombe, Lawrence Lek, Jenn Nkiru, Chen Wei and Harley Weir & George Rouy. I loved exploring these works, as each room was really it’s own world.
Tate Modern: Olafur Eliasson: In Real Life
I am a huge fan of Netflix, Abstract series, after seeing his episode in season 2, I could’t wait to see this incredible exhibit. I found it incredibly inspiring and I hope you have a chance to see it at The Guggenheim Bilbao in 2021.
The Royal Academy of Arts: Eco Visionaries
An exhibit that has really stuck with me was Eco-Visionaries, examining humankind’s impact on the planet. It presented innovative approaches that reframe our relationship with nature. Through film, installation, architectural models and photography, the works in this exhibition interrogated how architecture, art and design are reacting to a rapidly changing world, beyond mainstream notions of sustainability.
The exhibit that blew me away there was Rimini Protokoll’s Win > < Win. The installation made clever use of a glass tank containing Jellyfish, where the audiences focus could be directed through the use of light. Depending on the clever script the audience would either observe the jellyfish, see through to another audience, or have the perspective flipped on-themselves in a moment of reflection. It’s a bit of a spoiler, but I would really recommend watching the video to get an appreciation of the piece.
The National Gallery: Leonardo da Vinci’s — The Virgin of the Rocks
My trip wouldn’t be complete without visiting the National Gallery. I specifically came to experience this exhibit. A collection of multi-sensory rooms exploring various aspects of Leonardo paintings. One room invites visitors to play around with light, illuminating various angles of an object, a subject endlessly explored by Leonardo. Another room attempts to bring to life the modern conservation studio. The final room hosts the painting, which has been set in a model of the altarpiece that housed it in 1508, Milan, Italy. I was blown away by 59 Productions work in crafting this experience. We’ve been in contact ever since and I hope the relationship leads to incredible work for a client soon.
Victoria Albert Museum:
After seeing how intertwined the theater and immersive art scene was, I had to explore this museums incredible collection of stage and costume design. The main exhibit at the time focused on Tim Walker, but the museum has an incredible display of theater work all year long. I highly recommend visiting if you seek inspiration for crafting immersive experiences in the future.
