Lina Lapelyte at Tate Modern till 31 August. Free. Sponsored by UNIQULO TATE Play.
3/5 Not worth a special trip, but a bit of fun as a 30 minute detour.
In the Turbine Hall, Lina Lapelyte and TATE Play have erected an expanse of light wooden barriers resembling passport control at LHR. It’s a discouraging sight, and certainly underwhelming as Art goes. But intriguing. Where’s this going. What are we supposed to do, snake around inside it or just stare at it and try to find some deep meaning about the Journey of Life… The soft urban soundscape including crows is a bit lost in the vastness.
You’ll be invited to gather in small groups around one of 6 music stands by a ‘Conductor’, an animator specially trained by the artist herself. You’ll be coached to perform 5 actions or words, random things like ‘Swing your body’, or ‘Say: ‘Penalties”, which came out doom-laden, of course it did. Why of all the words, that one? Once rehearsed, you go forth into ‘Serendipity Island’ – I think ‘Great Barrier Riff’ is a better name – and play out your score. Other groups are making asses of themselves in front. There’s awkwardness masked by needing to look game for the cameras. It feels like being in the dole queue in The Full Monty, only more extreme.The leader forgets the next move so the group rallies and bonds. The kids help the adults to relax and feel less self-conscious. Immigration Control becomes a Mad Hatter’s Tea Party. She’s putting up barriers and asking us to tear down ours.
I harvested views from Dara and Mum Lydia, two game participants in my group. Mum: ‘I found the memory part hard, and the crow noise needs to be louder. And the periods of doing one action/noise are quite long’. Dara: ‘I’d like more playful loud noises and more movement’. So not hard core enough! If this is about bringing out the inner child, then it’s a very muted inner child – for a child.
Sally with her 2 children, Peter 4 and Shaun 2 was also happy to share. Sally: ‘It’s a lovely premise, to enjoy something en masse with our children in an art gallery and overcome our self-consciousness. But we could have more vocabulary for children, ‘penalties’ was over-ambitious for mine. The scores could also be more tangible and themed, such as footie or animals, and better designed for children. As they are, there’s no journey, no context. I couldn’t remember the score so some prompt laminates would be helpful.’
AJ was a musical performances student. AJ: ‘I really enjoyed it as it’s fun, gamified; you are asked to let go in public, and nothing has to be perfect, it’s all open to interpretation. That’s really special for me, because in the musical industry, the pressure to deliver a perfect performance every time is enormous. I recommend visitors try it several times, even if you feel a bit awkward, in different groups and with different scores. The dynamics change. The first time we were all more inhibited, but the second time we got more free and relaxed. Give it another go!
I spoke to Isabella, a conductor, who has a background in dance choreography, and fed back some of my group’s impressions. Isabella: ‘Things can go wrong and that’s ok. Lina has her aesthetic and tonal preferences and sets the tasks, but she allows the individuals to build their own group synchronisation, through chance and the challenge of completing something unfamiliar. Random strangers are thrown together and success is defined by them listening as a group for sound triggers, like an orchestra, providing a safety net as a group if someone falters, and developing an animalistic peripheral vision to navigate barriers and avoid other groups. It’s primal. That’s why the Conductor does not accompany the group onto the Island. She’s trying to break down our fear of failure, knowing that when we’re being watched it feels even worse. This is a training in not caring.’
Lina has a reputation for devising immersive installations that fuse art and play and music. I think the artistic side was lacking in the bland uniform barriers. They could have been more interesting to look at, sculpted in surprising ways, of different woods, thicknesses, colours and shapes. The pathway could have included landmarks, dens, seats, hills, streams and fountains.
More information at www.tate.org.uk
Hi! I have a ‘portfolio’ lifestyle, jumping between mum, journalist, curator of my own museum, chauffeur, French tutor and carer. I love music, dance, theatre and dancing in the evenings, and helping others to enjoy life. I’ve been through the mill healthwise, along with my family, and am grateful for every day.
