- Venue
- Torre Abbey
- Location
- South West England
In an atmosphere unlike any other, a multi-faceted tale unfolded recently inside the walls of the medieval Spanish Barn – images, objects, sounds and movements called up hidden memories of childish games, ghost stories and almost-forgotten things. From Wiltshire to Devon, contemporary artists built on the theme ‘Immersive worlds’ in very different ways, each with a common aim – to encourage conversations about what, how and where art might be in today’s media-driven society.
As suggested in the title, much of the work was interactive and playful, demanding the viewers’ attention – without which, it would sink silently back into the dark walls of the barn. Site-specific constructions were built , high curving black walls and pathways that enveloped and held the sounds and sights of moving image installations and a dark shelf-like object studded with dozens of cameras.
A black wall cut across the centre of the barn acting as both partition and portal, separating the vast space in two, at the same time capturing the curious viewer inside a human sized chandelier created using hundreds of pairs of spectacles. Further immersion came in the form of a shed that invites us to enter and experience its beating heart.
Just out of earshot of a noisy Chinese banqueting table, another installation hangs inside a darkened doorway. As we approach, a crowd of pod-like creatures comes to life; the round lantern-like bodies flickering gently as though filled with fireflies, settling darkly back into the recesses of the barn as we head towards the next spectacle.
It is sometimes difficult to spend time with art in galleries and museums. There is often nowhere to rest quietly, nowhere to linger just looking and thinking. The changes in mood, size, sound etc. from one work to another need space and time, and here the artists have taken these aspects very seriously, offering the viewer a number of viewing and sound points across the vast space of the barn.
The world around us is so full of visual stimuli that we often fail to notice the quieter things in life, but just occasionally we come across an object, sound or scene that stops us in our tracks and makes us think. At times like these, we give up a little of our time – pausing, looking and listening. We do not demand immediate meaning or justification, but are content to contemplate and take pleasure from the smallest of moments.
The works in this exhibition were no different. They did not need to be understood at first glance yet were always thought provoking, and it was this poignancy, alongside their careful positioning within the cool darkness of the medieval barn, that enables the viewer to experience a very different kind of contemplation.
The next exhibition in the barn will be ‘Beyond Boundaries’ from 2nd to 11th July 2011
