The V&A Trip

V&A Trip on the 5th

Dale Chihuly, is an American glass sculptor and entrepreneur. His works are considered unique to the field of blown glass, "moving it into the realm of large-scale sculpture. This impressive chandelier is 9.1 metres high it looms over the office desk in the middle of the entrance to the museum. 

Memory Palace

Sky arts ignition brings together a new work of fiction by the author Hari Kunzru with 20 specially commissioned instillations by graphic designers.  The story is set in future London hundreds of years after a an immense magnetic storm wiped out all infrastructure. “Technology and knowledge have been lost”.  Unfortunately we weren’t allowed to take pictures.

As you walk in to the exhibition there is a piece of writing on the far wall it explains how to remember. First one must choose a place and get to know it, for example a London borough. Walk around it explore it look at every detail of that area closely. Do this until you can picture that place with your mind. The mind should be able to generate pictures of that place. This way seeing brief pictures of that area should trigger the impulse in the brain.

 Nemo Tral Acrylic on uv light box

“we are stunted, ravaged by disease” this quotation highlights what this piece of work is all about. It was set in future London, but London wasn’t the sparkling city we see today with its flowing Thames and skyscrapers. The city was destroyed, derelict, war stricken may be. For me I sat on the floor and looked for around 5minutes taking in the destruction. As I live in London seeing this was an eye opener as to what the future could possibly hold. It made me feel consciously aware of other countries and what they’re going through with war and civil war.

The picture shows the Shard the newest skyscraper in London battered and broken the glass falling and braking into tiny shards. Seeing this was hurtful in a way as it reminded me of how all Americans felt on that tragic day with 9/11.

 I could see the Olympic stadium I had a flashback to the Olympic Games back in 2012 it reminded me of the success Great Britain had.  However looking again the stadium was derelict shanty towns had taken over inside and out. This gave me images of Rio as when the world cup was being played the South Africans were aware of the poverty surrounding the stadium.

taken by me

Frank Laws – Ink and acrylic on paper plaster, hessian scrim, emulsion timber steel.

“I gave each spot a meaning, and as I populated it with the things I have been given to remember, the cell began to grow'. From his words. Frank Laws created a series of intricate paintings that form an installation of the prisoner's cell. The scenes depicted inside the cell are the Prisoner’s memories of London buildings. The narrow viewing points evoke the claustrophobia induced by spending day in day out in a confined space. Franks work is mainly water coloured paints.

Erik Kessels Recycled paper mixed media

His work was fascinating as it was very simple, it was highlighting the amount of waste ie paper we use, and where it goes. The paper was piled into box shaped forms.  There was a quote we all know on the far wall “I am not a plastic bag” which is commonly found on many bags you can buy. 

Hansje Van Halem printed ceramic tiles

Again this piece was also in a future London the names of boroughs had even changed. Farringdown and normally its Farrington. Slow square and normally it’s the famous Sloane square.  The names of the boroughs were still similar however which made it interesting to look at as you could easily figure out what the use to be called. 

Other exhibitions in the V&A

This exhibition was all about design movements like art deco to Memphis and space age, it was a walk through time. Design was influential from the end of the second world war and still is today. Design was a tool to aid major economic reconstruction.

This picture below shows Alessis Alice G bottle opener /corkscrew  initially presented in 1994, the successful Anna G icon acquired cult status and generated a small family of objects between 1994 and 2001.

I also visited the European section in the V&A and came across this red mans tunic that I tried on as you can see. It was very heavy which I didn’t expect and I wondered how long they would wear it for each day as it would of got pretty hot.  This tunic is a replica of what man use to wear.

Hyde Park and the Serpentine Gallery:

The Serpentine gallery pavilion is designed by a Japanese artist Sou Fujimoto its located near one of the parks entrances, it’s a vast white structure. It’s one of the most anticipated events on the calendar.