Binding, binding and more binding!
Its great making binding this way as its an eco way of using up my excess fabric, but it does take forever.
 |
 |
Van Gogh Alive at the Birmingham Hippodrome
I finally got a chance to visit the Van Gogh Alive Exhibition at the Birmingham Hippodrome; the first exhibition i have been to since the start of the pandemic.
 |
 |
I've always been interested in immersive exhibits and this appealed to me; with colour, moving image and sound being used to portray moods and changing events.
The exhibition itself it on the stage, extending all the way to the back, and stalls which have been boarded to increase the size of the space. Large fabric screens show changing projections at a variety of angles and tell the story of the latter stages of Van Gogh's life; arguably when he produced his best work.
 |
 |
 |
Each segment isn't long; a key painting or scene remains on the projection for roughly 1 - 1.5 minutes before evolving into something else. Projections on the floor add to the visuals and also change with the scenery around them. The full cycle lasts for about 40 minutes, but would recommend staying for 2 cycles to appreciate everything fully. I would also recommend heading towards the back of the stage as this is where the acoustics are at their most powerful. The tone of the music 'saddened' as we moved towards the end of Van Gogh's life, and there is a loud bang right at the end so be prepared for that!
I felt the music was paired very well with the imagery, and suited it well. Some pieces i had heard of, but others were new to me and lovely to listen to. My personal favourite was the sunflowers segment; the music and development of imagery was lovely.
Now to the inevitable question (which i have been asked a lot), what was it like seeing an exhibition in a pandemic?
If i'm honest, it felt very safe. Tickets were strictly timed; if you were early or late, you weren't allowed in. Everyone wore a mask, and if a steward saw that someone wasn't, they were politely asked to wear one (unless exempt with a sunflower lanyard). You do have to check in with the Covid-19 app, and it can be difficult on occasion to properly social distance in the space; however, it didnt feel over-crowded and there were plenty of spaces to move into if you felt there wasn't enough distance between people. A lot of people sat on the floor, including myself, and it didnt feel enclosed or 'hemmed in' which is nice...a rare thing for an art exhibition!
 |
 |
 |
I suppose my only downside is the price...£22.50 for an adult felt a bit much for it. That being said, the theatre has been closed for a number of months and needs to gain funds some how, so i can't criticise it too much. Perhaps if it was slightly longer? That may have helped to mitigate the price a bit more. There are a few things to do upstairs with children (drawing alongside timelapses, etc) and there is a sunflower mirror room and installation of the Chair painting, which is more for instagram than anything else, but overall, i did genuinely enjoy it! The music was wonderful to listen to, and ive never taken so many photos and videos in my life at an exhibition, which watching them back, don't do it justice...it needs to be experienced first hand so do go and visit, not only to see it but to also support the theatre's emergence into the post-pandemic world.
 |
 |
If you want more information, head over to the Hippodrome's Website to book your tickets. The exhibition is on till July 11th.
If you're not in Birmingham, don't worry, the exhibit is also available to see in Kensington Gardens in London where a purpose built structure has been set up and you can see all the wonderful projections first hand. More information is available on the Royal Parks website.
Online Event: Vivienne Westwood and Andreas Kronthaler, hosted by the V&A Museum
A wonderful online talk last night with Vivienne Westwood and Andreas Kronthaler, hosted by the V&A Museum, discussing important climate change issues (the importance of the 1% margin and the need to act), what inspired a fashion collection (elements from history) and reducing waste fabric when draping ideas (use every single scrap of fabric!)
You can follow Westwood's Climate Revolution page on instagram to find out more about the key areas she is championing for climate change.
Book of the Day: Folding Architecture by Sophia Vyzoviti
This little book was a great inspiration to me during my studies a number of years ago.
The variety of structures within the pages vary from harsh lines to soft curves, and the resulting shapes are lovely to look at.
It can be a little surprising to see that each one is made from paper as you would think it wouldn't be strong enough to form these shapes, but i think the 'material' type brings a delicacy to them that wouldn't necessarily work in other textures.
Definitely worth a look.
 |
 |
 |
 |
Illustrations at the V&A Museum
Illustration by Hans Bellmer,
Taken from the book 'Oeillades Ciselees en Branche' by George Hugnet,
From the V&A Museum
Throwback Thursday: Statfold Railway
Throwback Thursday to a recent visit to Statfold Railway:
Signs, signs, on the wall, whats the best train name of them all?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)