An interactive 2001 monolith style display of columns. Each flashes rainbow radiant. Each produces individual and collective music (composed by Massive Attack). They purport to be interactive. The observer can thus influence this son et lumiere. Whilst waving, ducking, stroking and moving one wonders if this is not like B.F. Skinners random feeder box for pigeons. Does the action of the observer really impact on the experience? Or is the real interaction between the monoliths and the humans? Do the monoliths prompt the observers into bizarre ritualistic, superstitious acts of believed cause and effect?
From personal experience it ’seems’ that the speaker sound is altered by stroking and waving and gesturing. It also ’seems’ that the positioning of the audience prompt the groupings of monolithic columns into life… What is indubitably true is profound mesmerism of the experience. This is particularly true as the sky darkens into evening. There is a primal, hypnotic fascination with these flickering, fluctuating devices. Perhaps the colours evoke humankinds evolutionary connection to the proto campfire. Perhaps this hypnotic side effect is intentional.
A camera crew following Alan Yentob (well it is the south bank) seems to dwell in the area for an inordinate period of time. Like a moth to a lunar reminiscent flame there is something unavoidably, inescapably enticing here.
September 14, 2008 at 4:43 pm |
If there’s any Massive Attack fans here, please consider dropping into my new Massive Attack fansite for a visit:
http://www.massiveattack.ie
I have spent many months writing all the content and I just launched it last month. Among other things I am sharing roughly 50gb of Massive Attack live recordings both on Megaupload and on my own bittorrent tracker on my forum (also have a games arcade on there too).
If you like my site please consider signing up on the forum.