LUX: A New Wave of Contemporary Art, currently on show at 180 Studios WC2, is an immersive audio-visual art exhibition consisting of 13 computer-generated installations by 12 artists and collectives. The installations convey ideas on light, artificial intelligence, the environment and perception. I visited with a friend, who shares my interest in these topics. This review is based on my perception of the pieces that had the biggest impact on me, with hopes it will inspire you to go and see it for yourself.
Es Devlin’s two-part installation, ‘BLUESKYWHITE’, was created in response to proposals to “dim the sun” to counter global warming. The first part is a 24-metre-long red-lit tunnel that transports you into part two and the rest of the exhibition. As you travel through the tunnel, the 1816 poem, Darkness, is read by Devlin. It is a first-hand account of the ‘year without summer’, the aftermath of a volcanic eruption in Indonesia; so catastrophic that the gas and particles released caused a perceptible dimming of the sun.
The tunnel mimics the intense glowing red sunsets that could be seen during this ‘year without summer’. The red light and narrowing walls have a breathtaking impact on perception. I felt like I had shrunk to half my size when I reached the other side, forcing me to take myself out of the equation and look for the bigger meaning. The second part is made up of curved, panelled walls that show a bright blue sky is slowly engulfed by white clouds.
It draws from solar-geo engineering models which suggest that a cloud of suspended particles could help solve global warming, but could also turn the sky white. This part felt very dreamy to me. Finding myself squinting every time the room turned painfully bright white, I wondered if this would be our future. A dystopian sense of dread followed me out of the installation.
Hito Steyerls’, ‘This is the Future’, is a film accompanied by a multi-channel digital garden called ‘Power Plants’. The film follows a woman who hides a garden in the future to protect it. It portrays a future with plants that have abilities to help humankind. The ‘Power Plants’ are digital flowers, generated by neural networks, that are programmed to predict the future by calculating the next frame.
It uses a form of AI which gets more accurate over time by using its data to teach itself to make better predictions. This installation gave me a sense of optimism and hope. The voices of women used in the film along with the brightly coloured digital garden painted an image of a future world that had been saved from its’ demise by women and nature; two beings that have historically been treated as disposable.
The final installation that stuck with me long after I left was a’stricts’ ‘Starry Beach’. A computer simulation of crashing waves projected across the walls, ceiling and floor of a large room. The sound of the waves perfectly syncs with the visuals creating an extremely calming effect. I was taken back to a care-free time in my life watching the waves rushing towards my feet and then running away again; it reminded me of seaside holidays as a child. The intention of the installation was to stimulate a subconscious, shared association all humans have with water and our reliance on it. It was mesmerizing and I could have stayed in there for hours.
Overall, the whole exhibition was stimulating, educational and breath-taking. The line between art and technology is blurred by the artists making viewers ponder how far these mediums could be taken. It can be viewed until December 18th, so make sure you go and see it before it’s gone.
DETAILS:
- Venue: 180 The Strand
- Address: 180 The Strand, London, WC2R 1EA
- Price: ADULT ADMISSION £18.00 ¦ CONCESSION £13.00 ¦ YOUNG ADULTS (12-17) £5.00
