So it was off to the Barbican that we headed on as usual at the moment a cold, dreary and wet evening.   On arrival we were greeted not only by the charming and talented Rich Gasper but also by several paramedics.   One of the artists exhibiting – Edward Fornelies (brother in law of the fascinating David Birkin) had had heart palpatations and possibly wasn’t going to be able to do his performance.    So first drama and spotting of emergency health care workers down!   Once inside we were greeted not only by a revolving Absolut bar, (I promise you it moved it wasn’t just the seriously strong drinks kicking in) but also the second round of paramedics.   A slightly older gentleman (is that the polite way of phrasing this?) had gone up Pablo Schmidt’s ladder – no pun intended, it was an actual ladder, to view the wooden sculpture at the top which was inspired by the nest of the South American Omero bird.   The ladder had promptly broken and the man had landed on the concrete floor from a considerable height.   The poor man was made to lie there for a considerable time while the ambulance men inspected him (and passers by probably thought that he was a piece of performance art).

Anyway once this excitement was over we finally got to see the exhibition, which is a retrospective of Ron Arad’s work, which for one night they had opened up to a selection of young artists.   I think with the idea being that they would add a bit of excitement, well even if this wasn’t it worked with the plethora of emergency services!   I think I liked Ron Arad’s pieces, I thought that some of them were absolutely beautiful if completely impractical but ones that I would dream of one day having the house for!   The cement record player and speakers I think was a particular highlight as was the divided bookshelf to look like a map of the states.

With the younger artists Edward Fornelies exhibited My Little Honey Touch or English Oak Descending this consisted of a wooden hut with pink silk billowing in and out of it and little children squealing and coming in and out.    When my friend Jennie Blouet went in she said that it was very claustrophobic and she felt someone almost stroking and grabbing her (was this Edward recovered from his heart palpataions or an imposter?)- I assume that the children had a much more playful experience!    When reading what he says about the piece that I think that it is possible that Jennie had the more intended ‘performance’ as he said: “I lay next to her sleeping body, just about able to feel her through the sleeping bag.   Pretending to sleep I moved against her.   The distance covered was centimetres over many hours.”

Ian Giles had the piece that I was probably least excited to see: All Together Now.   Work 2: a, e, i, o, u this consisted of a choir of 32 members dispersed in the gallery each repeating a word when conducted.   I thought that this would be incredibly dull but in fact it was fascinating and very very beautiful, it was incredible that he remembered each letter or word (or even noise as there was a bark and a miaow) of each person and by pointing at them he created the most wonderful story or poem about love and loss, it was very touching, funny and different to anything that I have ever seen before.

Bee Emmott was the artist that we originally went to see and who I think was probably the most affected by the man falling off the ladder as he choose to fall right infront of her work which meant that it was impossible to view it for quite a while.   The piece that she exhibited Blind:Fold was typical of her work in that it focused on concepts of space and image.  She was showing a projection of a close up of some tin foil being moved and crushed and played with by hands.   It was absolutely mesmerising, a little like some of Warhol’s films where very little happens but you can’t help but be drawn into it.

Olympia Scarry’s work was completely different, and what can I say I think that she does fantastic work.   I think that this is possibly one of the weakest ideas that I have ever seen of hers but still worth while.   The work was a mound of bricks with the idea being that you the audience takes one home and releases it into the river, this is therefore an act of liberation for both the viewer (being allowed to be involved) and also the artist in her loss of control.

Altogether it was a fascinating exhibition, with a lot for people to live up to and probably health and safety’s worst nightmare!