Trisha Baga, 27th February – 11th May, 176 Prince of Wales Road, Zabludowicz Collection, London NW5 3PT www.zabludowiczcollection.com
When collector and supporter of emerging artists Anita Zabludowicz took over a former Methodist chapel in North London in 2007, she injected her refreshing take on contemporary art into the sleepy neighbourhood around Primrose Hill. I often wander into the gallery on my way to Triyoga, and am constantly surprised by the eclectic selection of artists and genres on display.
The current exhibition at 176 Prince of Wales Road features a mind-bending installation by New York –based artist Trisha Baga. You walk in off the pavement and into an unexpected multi-media experience that cleverly takes over the main exhibition space, utilizing all the nooks and crannies of the high ceiling deconsecrated Church with 3D film, music and a cleverly crafted domestic interior filled with discarded bottles and the debris of everyday life, like a version of Tracey Emin’s Bed for the 2000s. Gaming chairs are strategically placed around the room, inviting you to take a seat, lie back with your 3D glasses and watch the all-encompassing 3D projections created by Baga. As a Jazz lover, I was in heaven lying back in my chair, watching an off-the-wall film of two women having a conversation inside a fridge about Jazz, while behind my head vinyl played a conversation about saxophonist Ornette Coleman and Abstract Expressionist Jackson Pollock. The work titled ‘Freaky Sunday’ (2014) is a collaboration with multimedia artist Jessie Stead. As you move through the rooms there are more trippy, multi-layered films featuring cats, food and painting, and a screen showing ‘Queen of Pop’ Madonna gyrating during one of her concerts – a random, engaging cornucopia of sights and sounds.
www.zabludowiczcollection.com
Words by Lee Sharrock
