Last Chance : Kinetic Art Fair
Within the subterranean depths of Central London there exists a room filled with pole dancing CCTV cameras, self-perpetuating fly catchers, and all manner of swirling whirling constructions. No, I have not taken acid, merely a visit to the 2009 Kinetica Art Fair.
Housed within the gigantic new P3 space, hidden beneath Westminster University, this is being hailed as the first large-scale event to bring together artists and galleries from the world of kinetic and technologically inspired art. This amalgam of science, movement and innovation is one of the art world’s newest phenomena and the Kinetica Art Fair is one of the few chances the public will have to see works from across the whole spectrum of the discipline.
The work on show is irrefutably dynamic, whether it be large undulating waves of plastic or computerized simulations of imaginary bug gardens, it succeeds in capturing the thrill of the fair. Each artist, or group of artists, are neatly contained within generous booths, enabling small pockets of consistency among a field of great variety. The layout of the gallery, as well as the sheer size of the building, also provides scope for an electric atmosphere once the crowds start flowing in.
The work on display is of varying quality, but the sheer collective movement of the whole show lends even the most mundane piece an air of excitement. Entrants to the exhibition are greeted by Tom Wilkinson’s rippling Light Wave, panels of glass swaying from one side to the other. A simplistic, pleasant, and undeniably kinetic introduction to the cavalcade of delights on offer. Continuing on you’ll be greeted by one of the strangest and most emblematic pieces on show, Tim Lewis’ Pony. An odd mix of gloved human hands and ostrich-like form that stutters back and forth across the show floor, pulling a confusingly constructed wheelchair behind it.
Also worth a look is the Carnivorous Lampshade Robot from Material Beliefs, one of the few genuinely useful applications of this heady mix of design and art. The bulbous construction emanates an insect-tempting light from within, with small apertures on its surface allowing them passage into the glowing core. Not content with the capture and murder of the tiny creatures the contraption makes the best possible use of its prey, dropping them into a fuel cell which powers the light. Another highlight is Wrap3’s technically marvelous digital projection which allows visual artist Alise Piebalga to leap and crawl from cube to cube with dimension bending acrobatics.
As with any show of this nature, quality is mixed. A large set of cacophonous vibrating boxes are mostly a noisy distraction, and while much of the digital art on display is beguiling for its complexity and rigidity of form, some resemble little more than trumped up screensavers. Yet, for every piece of which you are not so fond, there will be a delightful reprieve whizzing and purring around the next corner. A fantastic spectacle with an intellectual and technological core, the Kinetica Art Fair is a place where everybody will find something to enjoy.
Kinetica Art Fair, P3., University Of Westminster, 35 Marylebone Rd, London, 27 February 2009 – 02 March 2009.
Last day today: Open until 4.00pm.
www.kinetica-artfair.com
