The promotion of art exhibitions and art installations takes on various guises these days. In London, the Serpentine Gallery organised a Sleepover, complete with food, lectures, films and Harvey Nichols toiletries, but at SOMA during Spraoi the buzz was at Everyone is an Audience where there was beer, baker’s dough, cut out cards and a table game that on opening night few participated in. Laura Fitzgerald took photographs of people’s eyes. Here’s looking at you kid?
Audiences mingled in a wonderful space and a visual stress test (how modern can you get?) was watched in a darkened room but few were willing to activate the heart/street monitor. Playwright and prolific parent Adam Wallace said it inspired him sexually. I liked the darkened room and the white noise and whale sounds.
Elsewhere TV Honan chatted exuberantly and The Fine Artists in linen suits paid homage to British critic Brian Sewell while the Art Tart did quick people sketches and talked jabberwocky.
Libby Seward of Animated State Dance Theatre Company tried to persuade visitors to dance to recorded music against a blue screen but only kids were willing.
Fiona Hallihan had Invisibility Cloak that invited people to vote on some statements by putting pistachio shells in plastic water cooler bottles. I passed on the one that asked – Do you feel that your work is valued by others as much as you value yourself? Doh!
People enjoyed the garden and SOMA is a place for the unusual. Claire Meaney and Mary Grehan curated the exhibition.
Meanwhile Two Time Polka were a wow at the Tower Hotel. SOMS. So Good So Mamore.
