Immersive exhibitions have become a bit of thing of mine it seems.
The onslaught on the senses through larger-than-life moving images, sounds and changing light make it quite an experience.
Following on from my previous immersive experiences at Van Gogh and Kusama, I found through social media (thanks Secret London) an immersive exhibition of Gustav Klimt's work at the Boiler House on Brick Lane. As i was in London for the weekend, i thought it would be nice to take in an exhibition like this in the capital to see if it would be different to those in other places and cities.
I'll be honest, the venue isn't much from the outside. It's very industrial in aesthetic; but everyone was welcoming and friendly. After the experience at Van Gogh at the Birmingham Hippodrome, i wasn't sure what to expect from this exhibition. If you read my thoughts on that visit (click here for a throwback), i was positive about the experience (empathically so!) but thought the price a bit much for what it was...and at £25 per person for the Klimt experience, i was getting a flashback to the Van Gogh ticket price.
However, i didnt need to worry as it was well worth it!
The exhibition started with a timeline of sorts through his early work and experiences, something i found useful as although i know some of his later work, i didnt know that he experimented with so many different artistic styles. Lightboxes showcased a number of his early works, and it was nice to see his evolving style as they progressed. There were good explanations about the pieces that provided background of what happened in his life during the creation of his paintings.
Both before and after the immersive room, there were some 3D perspective interpretations of a couple of Klimt's paintings. These were great as they used different distances, heights and textures to recreate parts of the painting that could only be fully appreciated when standing in a particular spot.
The first one was 'Anamorphosis - Lady with a Fan'
and then came 'Anamorphosis - The Kiss'
I really liked how these paintings had been interpreted into different sections. The full effect can be seen in the videos when moving from the viewing point as the depth and distance between each part is clearer to see.
Then came the main reason for the visit...the immersive room...
A central space in the boiler house with white walls and a central structure allowed moving image and videos of various Klimt artworks to pass across the space and merge together. They moved seamlessly between artistic 'movements' and the musical accompaniments suited the pieces really well. Seats were placed around the outside walls (the Klimt printed deckchairs were a favorite) and i found the experience extremely relaxing and enjoyable.
As with the Van Gogh and Kusama experiences, there are not enough photographs or videos to fully showcase this exhibition...in fact, i dont think ive taken so many videos in such a short space of time in a while! Take a look below at some of the highlights...
If you're in London, i highly recommend seeing this show...and keep an eye out as they're looking to release a Monet immersive experience soon!
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