Decode - V&A London until April 11th
Take a walk in a field of digital flowers that light up as you move through them, interact with Thom Yorke on screen, create your own artwork triggered by sound and take five minutes to sit in front of a camera that will record your photo in a ghost like image before superimposing it with that of someone else. These are just some of the delights of “Decode” an exhibition of digital media currently being held at the Victoria and Albert museum in London.
Is this the future? Is painting now dead? Well, perhaps painting is not dead per se, but it could be resting for a while.
The work on display here ranges from the fun, the curious to the beautiful. The range of work is diverse and thought provoking with not a sliced up shark or an unmade bed in sight. Visitors do not have to scratch their heads and wonder what the point is, they can instead observe or join in or both. They can wonder and have fun; they can ask questions and have an experience.
The pieces of work in this exhibition change as you interact with them. Part of the enjoyment is also about watching how other people interact with some of the exhibits, and so in a way you get two exhibitions for the price of one; a sort of voyeuristic pleasure at the same time as the real exhibition.
There is a sense of wonder about these pieces were created in the first place but then questions are forgotten as you make a painting just by moving or you make the leaves on a virtual tree fall off just by walking up to it. You also end up having random conversations with strangers - a virtually unheard of phenomenon in any London gallery, which also adds to the sheer enjoyment of this show
A visit to “Decode” is thoroughly recommended, I defy anyone not to have a good time and to wonder at the marvels of modern technology.
Victoria and Albert Museum, Cromwell Road
London SW7 2RL
+44 (0)20 7942 2000
One final thing I have a cheeky and rather surprising favor to ask of you guys. A close friend of mine works at a theatre and needs a set of shutters for this play that is opening this spring. If any of you has any for cheap please shoot me an email.