Metamorphosis: Titian 2012



An imaginative exhibition at the National Gallery bringing together the three Titian mythological paintings and commissioning reactions from artists, choreographers and poets.

In collaboration with the Royal Ballet, the exhibition takes the metamorphosis theme of the pictures a step further and creates works which are themselves a metamorphosis from the Titian. I watched the Imagine programme on BBC about the ballets and was fascinated. It helped me to understand how the works fitted together as it was hard in the exhibition to get across the idea of movement despite including the costumes and set designs.

Of the contemporary works I loved the fluid slow movement of Conrad Shawcross's machine Diana but I am afraid the Chris Ofili pictures left me a bit cold although I did prefer Ofili's ballet's set and costumes.

Mark Wallinger's installation was fantastic. I had read about it and felt I knew what to expect but had the strange experience of looking through the peep hole to find eyes looking straight back at me which was unnerving. The Diana inside was looking in the mirror at that moment. A really voyeuristic experience which brought a greater realism to the pictures. 


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