Sunday, 26 August 2012

A day out

I had a day out in London, stopping off at the Institute of Contemporary Arts to experience the Bruce Nauman sound installation, Days.

The installation consists of a number of suspended acoustic panels (speakers, to you or me!) which each play a random pattern of one of several voices reciting the days of the week.

This may sound (ho! ho!) like a pretentious nonsense, but as you walk around the installation, the patterns, rhythms and cadences of the different voices have different effects, varying from a general hubbub to a hypnotic drumbeat to an insistent clamour.

I was amazed at how the effect changed depending on where you stood, often the smallest change in location leading to a dramatically different effect.

Overall, the effect was mostly one of curious, light-hearted whimsy and I left the ICA with a broad grin on my face.

If you're near the Mall, stop in and be diverted.

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