I attended the 180 LUX exhibit at 180 The Strand. This exhibition showcases  twelve of the world’s most celebrated artists ‘to expand the boundaries of immersive art and blur the lines between the physical and virtual worlds.’ Overall, I found the exhibition to be inspiring: I loved its immersive nature; It really brought me into the now, by enabling me to experience what is around me. My intention was to not read too much about each piece, but to be a spectator, and to see what unique insight I was able to gain from each exhibit.

 

 

 “The black Corporeal (Breathe) is a critical examination of the relationship between materiality, and the black psyche. It explores the idea that our ability to breathe-an act that is continuously challenged by everything from air pollution, stress and anxiety and societal prejudice-is more than our lungs ability to take in air, but a reflection of the way that we live individually and together.”

This piece felt highly emotive, the way sound, visuals and language came together made for a profoundly captivating piece. I love the concept, and the way that the literal definition of breathing is paralleled to a metaphorical concept;  the way that Black people exist within society  in the 21st century.

The large scale moving  imagery with sound that surrounded me, made me feel as if I was very much part of something; as though I was invited into the art, as opposed to merely looking at something from afar. This blurred the line between art and spectator, and created a sense of closeness between the exhibit and myself.

 

 

 

I noticed how much the children were intuitively responding to the light. Without a care in the world, they were exploring the light and the mirrors, not worrying about the way they may be perceived by others. There is something in this childhood  playfulness that we are prone to losing sight of as we move into adulthood. This could be a good potential concept to explore.  On a more general note I was reminded of the way that light impacts people of any age, whether it be daylight, moonlight, artificial coloured light, there is some sort of emotional bond between us and light; light and dark. This is also fascinating to me and definitely something I will potentially explore through my own work.