From her wooden sleep …..

Magical installation at the ICA by Ydessa Hendeles.

This was an installation in their theatre space consisting of 150 artists’ mannequins in what she described as a “tableau vivant” with Debussy’s Golliwog Cakewalk playing in the background. The mannequins varied in size but the majority were either sitting on children’s school benches or sat in a circle around a central figure at one end.  Some were very lifelike. One the walls were fairground distortion mirrors so as you walked round you saw strange versions of yourself.

I found the whole thing both magical and a thing of nightmares! The effect was added to by the fact I was alone in the space except for about 5 guards who didn’t move. They sort of morphed into the art work!

I’d deliberately not read too much before I went in but when I read the blurb later I realised it was both installation and an exhibition of the artists collection of mannequins which she had carefully catalogued in an excellent free booklet. I’m glad I’d not taken the booklet in as I’d have looked at the work in a very different way but I had come out wanting to know more about the figures and this told you a lot!

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