BRISTOL: Girl about town blog
Sammy Maine visits the eccentrically titled Spike Island for a quick contemporary art fix
15th April 2009
I’ve never been to Spike Island but the somewhat minimalist building has always interested me and I felt it was time to sample the arty delights of Bristol. On a bright, sunny Wednesday afternoon my cousin and I stepped inside to be greeted by a chirpy woman at the desk, who quickly ushered us in for the start of the series of films which form part of Spike Island’s current exhibition.
The room was pitch black and I mean, PITCH BLACK - I couldn’t even see my hand in front of my face. Not a great start for me as (don’t tell anyone) I’m petrified of the dark; but I prevailed and stayed to appreciated Elizabeth Prices’ work.
User Group Disco, The Hall of Sculptures (2009) has been made specifically for presentation at Spike Island. This particular exhibition is the second episode in Prices’ NEW, RUINED INSTITUTE series. Each episode is shown in a different room within the notional architecture of a fictional institutional building – a curious repository for the ruins of the Twentieth Century. This ‘institution’ and its contents are only ever seen in mediated form.
As we sat down, the cinematic screen in front of us projected a still montage of industrial items, including film reels and what looked like, a vacuum pipe. This was accompanied by intensifying music, creating a sombre yet thought provoking atmosphere. My eyes even started playing tricks on me and the picture on the screen seemed to be getting smaller – a very surreal experience.
Once we built up the courage, we walked over to the next room to be presented with a series of videos on a large screen – also accompanied by various musical sequences. The videos were intriguing, confusing and yet very truthful. Now granted, I’m no art aficionado, but I could really appreciate what Price was trying to communicate to her audience. And at only twenty minutes long, it’s definitely worth popping in on a rainy April afternoon.
USER GROUP DISCO, The Hall of Sculptures (2009). Open 11-5pm Tue to Sun. Spike Island, 133 Cumberland Road, Bristol BS1 6UX, UK
+44 (0)117 929 2266
I’ve never been to Spike Island but the somewhat minimalist building has always interested me and I felt it was time to sample the arty delights of Bristol. On a bright, sunny Wednesday afternoon my cousin and I stepped inside to be greeted by a chirpy woman at the desk, who quickly ushered us in for the start of the series of films which form part of Spike Island’s current exhibition.
The room was pitch black and I mean, PITCH BLACK - I couldn’t even see my hand in front of my face. Not a great start for me as (don’t tell anyone) I’m petrified of the dark; but I prevailed and stayed to appreciated Elizabeth Prices’ work.
User Group Disco, The Hall of Sculptures (2009) has been made specifically for presentation at Spike Island. This particular exhibition is the second episode in Prices’ NEW, RUINED INSTITUTE series. Each episode is shown in a different room within the notional architecture of a fictional institutional building – a curious repository for the ruins of the Twentieth Century. This ‘institution’ and its contents are only ever seen in mediated form.
As we sat down, the cinematic screen in front of us projected a still montage of industrial items, including film reels and what looked like, a vacuum pipe. This was accompanied by intensifying music, creating a sombre yet thought provoking atmosphere. My eyes even started playing tricks on me and the picture on the screen seemed to be getting smaller – a very surreal experience.
Once we built up the courage, we walked over to the next room to be presented with a series of videos on a large screen – also accompanied by various musical sequences. The videos were intriguing, confusing and yet very truthful. Now granted, I’m no art aficionado, but I could really appreciate what Price was trying to communicate to her audience. And at only twenty minutes long, it’s definitely worth popping in on a rainy April afternoon.
USER GROUP DISCO, The Hall of Sculptures (2009). Open 11-5pm Tue to Sun. Spike Island, 133 Cumberland Road, Bristol BS1 6UX, UK
+44 (0)117 929 2266
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Cheers! Sounds like a good night out!!!
From: rm5324 Date: 04/04/2009 - 10:19 amPost new comment