Lucida Exhibition 26th January 2017

On Thursday 26th of January I went to the Centre for Chinese Contemporary Art in the Northern Quarter to see an exhibition by artist Suki Chan. I was invited to the private view by a family member who worked on the project and I'm so glad I was able to go, as it was a really intriguing show, unlike any art installation I've ever seen before. 

The leaflet for the exhibition, which alludes to the theme of the show

Using lens based media, innovative technology and the illusory world of the camera obscura, Suki's work investigates how the brain perceives images and processes information thus giving what we see meaning. Presented through two interactive video pieces, Lucida attempts to highlight the difference between what our eyes literally see, and how the brain's neural pathways interpret these images to create the world we see around us. Ultimately, we see through the exhibition that our environment is somewhat an illusion.

I'm interested in the way that science can be explored and made more accessible through art and this exhibition was a great example of the way that the two can be combined. I think science and creativity, although seemingly opposite disciplines, are actually very much entwined with each other.

This photo shows two of the screens from the first part of the exhibition. On the second screen is an image of an eye, which moved according to my eye movements.

The first installation involves three screens. You sit down in front of the first one and calibrate your eyes to the screen by looking at a series of red spots that appear. What follows is a film guiding you through shots of library spaces and boiler rooms in the University of London's Senate House, suggesting a, 'visual analogy for the interior structures of our eyes and brains'. Then, on screens two and three,the rapid eye movements of the eyes are shown. Screen two simulates the information received by the eyes whilst screen three simulates the information the brain receives.

Suki's work focuses on light, moving image and sound and what fascinated me most about the work was that an idea which might seem vague or intangible can be projected in such an insightful way. It was clear and complex at the same time, and made me think about how I might use materials in my textiles practise to simulate or represent light and movement.