Last Friday I visited the LACMA to observe three exhibitions that integrate technology into their pieces, to varying extents. The first piece I went to was ‘Breathing Light’ by James Turrell. This piece isn’t necessarily adding technology as an auxiliary layer on top of an exhibition itself. Instead, this piece is intended for the viewer to step inside the technology itself and participate in the visual trickery the exhibition plays. Taking it in turns of groups, the viewers step inside this large white room with curved surfaces and are told to focus on the back wall. There is a drop-off between the floor and the back wall, and when this is combined with the slowly changing hues of light, it gives you the impression that as you are looking at the back wall you are staring off into infinite distance. The longer I stayed focussed on the blank space, the more my eyes began to play tricks on me as they tried to find objects that weren’t there. It kind of felt like I was Mike TV from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, when he gets shrunk down to the size of a chocolate bar and teleported into the infinite white space, as if he’s in the TV. The changing gradients of light sent strange waves of shadows across my vision, and every time I unfocussed from the back wall I would snap back into reality. The other people in the exhibition were doing the same – attempting to become fully immersed in the experience and focussing on their respective spots in solitude. I wasn’t allowed to take photos and there was an attendant there at all times enforcing this, so I’ve included a picture from the LACMA website.
The second exhibit I went to see was Burden’s ‘Metropolis II’, which used technology is a very different way. It consists of tracks for cars and trains to shoot through a mini urban landscape, built up and out. Instead of being an immersive experience where the viewer is invited to be inside and a part of the exhibit itself, viewers surround the piece and are encouraged to observe it from the mezzanine around the top. The draw of this piece is kinetic energy and it was interesting to watch the observers more so than the piece itself. With so many moving parts and places to look, watching the observers was quite enjoyable – heads and eyes were moving back and forth, up and down, and different groups of people were constantly pointing out things they had just noticed to their friends. This piece was intended to be interactive, but not in the same immersive way as the Turrell piece. Instead, I think it’s supposed to offer you many different things to look at in an attempt to overload you with movement and complexity, as opposed to the Turrell piece which is supposed to overwhelm you with stillness and simplicity.
For lack of decent photos, here’s a picture of my ticket (proof for the haters).
I love the Turrell piece, especially the way he really asks viewers to think about immersion. And my daughter LOOOVES the Burden piece — second only to “the spaghetti”!
That seems like a really cool experience. I think that its great when technology in combination with art is able to make alter your perception of reality or is relatable to other experiences. It kind of reminds me of the virtual reality piece that I witnessed at the Hammer Museum.
Wow! The James Turrell exhibit sounds really cool. It’s tough for me to imagine how it feels like to see the different gradients of light and stare into the infinite distance– I really want to experience it in person (I also want to see the infinity room and imagine it is a similar experience!). I like the contrast you pointed out between the two different exhibits– Turrell uses simplicity and stillness to create an immersive experience, while Burden uses movement and complexity to create an interactive experience. It really goes to show how the amount and kind of technology used in the exhibit can create immensely different experiences for the patron.
I have yet to visit the LACMA museum but this looks like a great time to go! James Turrell’s exhibit looks breathtaking. I love when the incorporation of technology allows the viewer to actually insert themselves into the exhibit to give them a whole new outlook on the art piece.
I also visited LACMA but haven’t got the chance to see this, in which building did you find this? ‘The Breathing Light’ actually looks amazing and I liked your description of the Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory which helped me visualize it. And yes, I saw Burden’s Metropolis II and I actually went to the 2nd floor for a whole view. I kind of wished that the miniatured cars were actually moving though.
The Turrell piece is a really fascinating one. James Turrell actually studied a lot of perceptual psychology and spent a lot of time experimenting with things like sensory deprivation and anechoic chambers, so that’s where a lot of the meditative qualities of his work come from. If you ever get the chance to visit one of his perceptual cells, they’re very worth checking out. They’re basically similar to the ganzfeld, except meant for one person and they use flashing lights and audio in such a way as to induce visual hallucinations.