Mark Leckey: O’ Magic Power of Bleakness


Strange installation at Tate Britain by Mark Leckey.

At the heart of this show was the rebuilding of a motorway bridge under which were shown three videos. I admit I wished I’d read the leaflet before I got in but I wanted to experience it and make up my own mind about what it was plus once I got in it was too dark to read it.

I was blown away by the experience of it and how it created such a menacing space in a usually comforting one. Light levels changed but at its darkest there was a feeling that anything could happen. However the videos passed me by. It didn’t help that I assumed all of them referred to the bridge and were part of one project. I’ve only just realised they were three different pieces. I assume the main bridge one was the one shown at the top of it but it felt a bit tucked away and I didn’t engage with it, the space didn’t make me want to linger, which I guess was part of the point but also seemed to defeat part of the object of it.

Close on 5 January 2020

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