Sunday, July 6, 2008

Review: Psycho Buildings (Artists take on Architecture) at The Hayward Gallery



Psycho Buildings invites us to engross ourselves in a series of ten captivating and disconcerting installations that combine 2 and 3D design with the use of light, colour and smell to encourage viewers to become adventurous participants, and question what architecture means to us.

The installations that I really enjoyed experiencing included a roof top lake, designed like an infinity pool, looking like you could row yourself (or even throw yourself) right over the edge; a steel-plated “Life Tunnel”; a miniature outdoor cinema made of plywood and PVC; a red fabric staircase and an inflated transparent fabric sphere where visitors interact by climbing a staircase to the roof and then rolling and bouncing around while observers below enjoy the view.

Without a doubt, Psycho Buildings is an exhibition which has succeeded in getting people to re-examine and explore their relationship with their surroundings. It's a really fun exhibition that deserves to be the highlight of The Hayward’s 40th anniversary season,

Psycho Buildings is at The Hayward, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London, SE1, until August 25th.

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