- Venue
- Bonington Gallery
- Location
With the general confusion and claustrophobia of the Private View night over, the degree show exhibition at Trent comes into its own; at once a wonderland of childhood fantasies, a paradise of strange imaginings and pseudo-scientific flights of fancy. Disturbing corners and atmospheric spaces vie for attention with a diverse range of moving image works, while random unexpected interventions pop up unannounced, demanding attention and adding spice to the overall experience. Altogether an innovative minefield of experimental practise shot through with more traditional but beautifully executed pieces.
Due to the layout of the space, the Bonington building not being the average white-cube gallery setting but more a maze of conjoined areas, interspersed with installation rooms, corridors and stairwells, it is difficult to gauge in which order the viewer will approach the various work, although perhaps the first invitation to any visitor is a range of video work. (Is this perhaps a delicate salesmanship on the part of Trent to encourage its passion for ‘new media' art?). Whether or not this is the case it is atmospherically and tactfully done; not pressuring the viewer to immediately involve themselves in the work, but offering an invitation to come back and indulge when ready.
Continuing in the most obvious direction you are immediately confronted by a plethora of childish evocations, an alluring mix of the abstract, the reminiscent, the humorous, the sober and the bizarre. The interplay of the work here is a well planned and delicate balance; this could become a theme park or a sombre gallery space but somehow hangs tantalisingly between the two.
From here the possibilities can lead you to many places, a narrative trail up the stairs to a tumultuous downpour, through installation rooms playing delicate yet powerful light shows, or a claustrophobic meander to a renegade science lab. The work here is uncluttered and easily digestible, sculpture and installation pieces carrying the predominant scientific feel of this space; though perhaps somewhat unconvincing is the relevance of some seemingly unrelated pieces, in relation to the overall context of this area.
On the mezzanine level the viewer is invited to indulge in a period of one particular artist's life through a huge array of collected, transcribed and highly addictive text messages. More installation rooms on this level are a professional looking mix of performance, video and painting.
Video work on the upper level is innovatively presented on various screens, timed to run at different times to avoid interference between the work, though some seating would perhaps be welcome here.
The upper floor houses a wide body of work; drawings and paintings vie for attention with sculpture and mixed media. This is perhaps where the overall coherency of the exhibition falls down; this floor is at times sparse and cluttered, making it difficult to focus and pay ones full attention to certain pieces.
On the whole, the exhibition at Trent is an eclectic mix of different genres, a huge variety of exciting contemporary practice, often involving the viewer and inviting participation which holds the interest, the experience ranging from playful to sombre. The work in general is polished and professionally presented and the high standard of much of it is a credit to the artists and the university itself.
