It’s time to put our cameras down and learn a little about the art that we’re using for our social media aesthetics.
Scrolling through TikTok and finding new art exhibitions to save to our favourites, so we can make our own TikToks about them. We’re all guilty of it. But do we actually know the cultural relevance behind the art galleries we’re visiting? Here are a few exhibitions everyone will be visiting in London this month, and the stories behind them.
1. Infinity Mirror Rooms by Yayoi Kusama - Tate Modern, Bankside
Infinity Mirror Rooms exhibits. Images by Jubida Begum
Those who were lucky enough to snap up tickets to this popular exhibit before they sold out until next March can look forward to infinite mirror reflections and a never-ending display of coloured lights. These provide a beautiful backdrop for the Instagram story. However, Kusama’s ‘Chandelier of Grief’ piece (pictured above) explores “how we can experience beauty and sadness at the same time,” she says. She highlights that every person’s experience in the immersive exhibit is special and that the art changes depending on who is in the reflection.
2. Don’t Cry Over Spilt Milk by Eve De Haan – Canada Place, Canary Wharf
Neon lights, dried flowers and garage music create a playful atmosphere, complete with a see-saw – and great lighting for your snaps. This aesthetically pleasing pop-up exhibit explores the idea of happiness, urging people not to let things we can’t control stop us from being happy. Fun vibes and glowing signs provide us with affirmations, urging us that “it’s all good”.
3. LUX: New Wave of Contemporary Art by SUUM Projects – 180 Studios, Strand
The work commissioned in this exhibition blends artificial intelligence and art, using 3D technology to appeal to the senses. Bright, bold colours and graphics captivate the audience, but what does it all actually mean? According to the curators, the pieces are a light-filled response to the pandemic. The artists’ aims were to bring light and happiness to a time of darkness and isolation.
4. Silent Fall by A.A. Murakami – Superblue, Piccadilly
This futuristic display invokes the senses, with mirrored walls and tree sculptures creating the illusion of a forest. Earthy scents and smoke-filled bubbles - which you’re allowed to burst - allow for audience participation and may be a reason for its popularity on TikTok. However, the creators describe the piece as a commentary on our impact on the environment, with the bubbles representing “the fragility of nature” they say. This installation comes at a great time, when talks of climate change are being bought to the public eye once again.
5. In Love with the World by Anicka Yi – Tate Modern, Bankside
AI and helium are behind this innovative display, which features squid-shaped robots floating around Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall. The hum of electricity alongside the ethereal mechanisms creates an alien-like and eerie atmosphere for museum goers. The artist asks audiences to question how it would feel to share the world with machines that can one day evolve by themselves, exploring the advancements of technology.
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