Opens Tomorrow Morning is a brilliant, ingenious exhibition which runs until the 1st November at the Howard Griffin Gallery on Shoreditch High Street.
The space has been completely transformed by conceptual artist Pablo Delgado into a fictional gallery within a gallery, or as the blurb puts it, ‘a highly experimental, theatrical space in which the making of an exhibition becomes the exhibition itself’. Confusing to explain, but remarkably accessible and simple in its execution.
An inviting yellow door greets you upon entry, you then grab a torch and enter Delgado’s constructed reality of a gallery on the night before it is due to open. Picture frames are on are on the walls, but the pictures are not always in them. A cup of tea sits on a desk, as if the owner has just popped out to get some final bits and bobs for the big day. As you explore by torchlight you discover tiny hidden elements – a picture with a door, which when you bend down at just the right angle you can see tiny rolling hills, giant foam balls and even an elephant.
In the next room things get darker still – the walls are painted black, skulls and disembodied arms seem to float on shelves, paint pots litter the floor and shards of glass are strewn over surfaces. In this room ideas are still being developed - works in progress are tacked onto walls and open paint pots suggest the presence of the artist very recently at work. At the end is a too-small door reminiscent of something from Alice in Wonderland.
All of this was unexpected and surprisingly engaging. By making the visitor / viewer a part of the work and the experience, it does not have the alienating effect that some pieces of modern or conceptual art do. In fact, little groups of people looking round the exhibition gasped and giggled as they negotiated their way around the space, discovering new and surprising moments.
The show is effective, not only in making you think about the role of everyone involved in the construction of pieces of art, but also asks broader questions about what is real and what is constructed. Its power is in instantly taking you a world away from Shoreditch High Street and completely immersing you in a parallel reality. In forcing you to engage and interact fully with the work, it definitely did what all good art does, which is make you think - plus it was a lot of fun too. Highly recommended from us.
howardgriffingallery.com@HG_Galleries
All images by @shootbernard.com
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