After our massive loop on our bicycles that took us along the South Bank from The Serpentine to Greenwich (via the foot tunnel) to Canary Wharf we arrived at Wapping and immediately bumped into some friends. The Wapping Project is a success story in itself, with a rather fancy restaurant that pulls in the cash; the gallery remains free and open to all. I particularly enjoy the greenhouse bookshop, which located to your left when you enter (in the garden facing the building) which offers a healthy selection of well-sourced publications on art.
Access to the gallery is granted via the restaurant, which if you're not expecting, can be quite an intimidating experience, as people examine you from the comfort of there dining table, I think it adds to the charm. Once through the doors you are led down a metal staircase into a large tiled cold room, left with enough of the old fixtures to feel quite special. The hydraulic power station built in the 19th century has been retained rather than restored, with machinery still in place.
The Chorus by United Visual Artists (UVA) is a series of pendulums that light up to the music, glowing, throbbing and shining bright as they sway in unison and sometimes not, as though living breathing entities. The effect is smoothing yet predominantly hypnotic, I lay on the cold floor and gazed up at the pendulums swaying to the sound ecclesiastical chorus, visualising the courtyard of a monastery, the pendulums representing incense swung on a chain. The dynamic between the musical score and the movement and light created, was arguably synonymous deep techno inspired jaunty melodies were complimented with jolty angular movement and flash throb light, female chorus played out to smooth and fluid movement almost organic in it’s rhythms with curvy soft movement and warm pulsing glow. The relationship between all elements of the piece was heavy with character, each score representing a entirely separate mood and dynamic.
UVA produced the lighting effects for the Y-3 Autumn Winter 2010 New York presentation with great effect.
And also collaborated successfully with a number of leading acts in various formats, live visuals, music videos, below is an example - the music video for Tonto by Battles.
