Tomás Saraceno: Webs of Life

Weird augmented reality installation outside the Serpentine Gallery by Tomás Saraceno.

If you read me regularly you’ll know I’m not keen on virtual and augmented reality works and usually avoid them, but I thought I’d try this as it was something you could do on your phone. It took me a while to understand the app and to get it to activate then it kept dropping out. It’s so much easier and more relaxing to walk into a gallery, look at an artwork, think about it then leave again.

Anyway this placed the image of two giant spiders onto the grass by the gallery. I’m not sure I was in the best place to appreciate them as they seemed very close and in fact one appeared from above me as if it had been behind me. Although I’m scared of spiders I found these so large and odd that they were OK. You could also activate a smaller version of the work at home by uploading a photograph of a spider although I’d never get close enough to take a photo!

Bring back Louise Bourgeois whose spiders are much more effective pieces.

Closed 17 October 2021

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