05 March 2016

Retrospective Barry Richez

Now open at LEA6 is Retrospective Barry Richez, a significant installation that reflects back on the artist's substantial work over the past seven years. Visitors are prompted to take something of a guided tour, visiting a remarkable 27 distinct locations, guided by a series of teleports. (The artist recommends visiting sequentially through the destinations in numeric order, although jumping around is possible.) Teleports 2 through 11 venture through the Galaxie Centaurus, 12 through 14 through the Galaxie du Tourbillon, 15 through 20 through the Galaxie du Sombrero, and 15 through 28 to various other locations, with teleport 1 being the landing point.

Through it all, we're immersed in a rich tapestry of style, content and composition, with a frequent emphasis on celestial or science fiction themes ("Welcome to my universe," says Barry), sometimes with a dash of humor but often with an equally apparent sense of poetics or serious inquiry. Be sure to watch out for the occasional opportunity to interact with one of the artworks (as in the image immediately below — click on any image to zoom in), or to sit on a ball that will thrust you into space or offer a meditative pose. At teleport stop #19, visitors will encounter works by another artist (and Barry's partner), Lou Robinson, whose art focuses on fractals and sculptures.

Exhibition-goers will find a few freebies offered throughout the Retrospective. The artist suggests an environment set to midnight, with sounds and particles on. (Going to absolute darkness will actually obscure some non-illuminated objects, so be sure to at leave at least a little light on.) The Retrospective continues through March 31st.

No comments:

Post a Comment