London: The Infinite Mix

During my brief visit to London, I also managed to squeeze in a visit to 'The Infinite Mix' at the Hayward Gallery, The Strand. I'm extremely lucky to have a friend who's an absolute expert at locating 'Off-the-wall' and 'one-off' exhibitions!


Although video installations are not normally my forte, I was surprised at how interesting and thought-provoking the overall experience was. It was set in an industrial, derelict-style building which added to the abstract nature of the videos, and to my surprise, it was actually a lot bigger than anticipated, and most importantly...free! 

Ugo Rondinone 'THANX 4 NOTHING'

'Rondinone's carefully choreographed multi-screen installation- which features long shots, intimate close ups and passages of high speed editing' 

As I entered the dark room, I was immediately immersed by screens and TV sets of all proportions. The same obscure video being played on repeat everywhere you look, almost inescapable. I didn't recognise the performer who was reading the monologue, but I found the formal setting of the Parisian theatre and the suited reader mismatched to the actual content of the poem which was direct, cryptic and in some ways, aggressive.

Cyprien Gaillard 'Nightlife' 

'The vacillating volume and reverb of the film's dub soundtrack conjures a shifting sonic space that mirrors the ghostly materiality of the film's 3D visuals'

This installation was by far the most thought-provoking, and personally my favourite of the selection. I have never experienced anything quite like it. It depicted in a 3D visual, the nightlife of urban vegetation that inhabit the streets of Cleveland, LA and Berlin.