Cathy's Art Diary

Peaceful installation at Somerset House by Zheng Bo. The work consisted of a meandering courtyard created with troughs of ten types of bamboo. The work was in situ to mark Earth Day on 22 April.   You were invited to sit among it and draw. I don’t usually do interactive features of installations but I had time so I took a clip board and spent some time sketching. It was very relaxing. Closed 28 April 2024  

Calming installation in the Courtyard of Somerset House by Jitish Kallat. The work consisted of a labyrinth of road signs. There were danger signs by cities which had suffered climate related incidents and it showed the distance of cities from Somerset House. You walked in one way and out the other which I did. It was very calming to do it and it reminded me of the mazes you sometimes find in old churches which you were invited to walk around and pray or meditate. Kallat had also created this year’s flag commission for World   Earth Day which is based on a Pulsar Map which was included on plaques attached to the two Voyager scientific space probes, launched in 1977. However the design was too subtle to be seen easily from the ground. Closes 23 April 2023  

Disappointing installation in the courtyard of Somerset House by Leeroy New. The show consisted of three large ships made of reused and recycles material plus waste plastics and was there to mark World Earth Day 2022. I had seen it being advertised as it was installed and was excited to see the end result but I’m afraid it was a bit underwhelming and looked like what it was, bits of rubbish on a metal frame. It had lost any sense of the basic structures being boats and they looked lost in the grand surroundings. It was a worthy idea but didn’t quite work in the space. Closed 26 April 2022