For most of modern human life, art was a liberty only the elite could enjoy, those who were fortunate enough to have their cake and paint it too. The culture of art galleries and museums used to be guarded by the bourgeoisie up until the late 19th to 20th centuries. In the early days of the British Museum around 1750, tickets had to be requested in advance in writing, effectively ruling out anyone illiterate from the guest list.
Fortunately in 2024 most museums in London are free or at the very least offer concessions for students, children, the elderly and unemployed. Where once it would be a big deal for somebody like me or you to even step foot in an art gallery, nowadays people flock there in the masses for a perfect day out. While it’s a privilege for art to be so ingrained in our culture, we can argue that there is a need to switch things up every now and then.
So what if instead of just looking at a piece of art, we immersed ourselves in it?
That’s exactly what I did at the aptly named experience “Frameless: Immersive Art Experience” near London’s Marble Arch. Featuring four galleries: “Beyond Reality”, “Colour in Motion”, “The World Around Us” and “The Art of Abstraction” and 42 masterpieces, the experience is well worth your money and should keep the whole family entertained for the day. As you go through the rooms it is like being plunged into nostalgic reverie, the outside world ceases and all that matters is the artwork dancing and singing before your eyes. I don’t just mean dancing and singing in a metaphoric sense, either- with masterful animation which brings to life unforgettable pieces like Van Gogh’s “Starry Night over the Rhone” or Salvador Dali’s “The Persistence of Memory”, taking them out of the realm of the static and into cinematic fluidity as they spiral, flow and tick across the walls.
One thing I didn’t expect but certainly am not complaining about was the addition of music, with each piece somehow being perfectly attuned to the mood captured in the art. My personal favourite was the rising crescendo of panicked frenzy in “The Scream” by Edward Munch, which feels almost like the walk to a door behind which something sinister lurks. For calmer pieces, like Monet’s “Rowboat on the Seine at Jeufosse”, the music is almost lullaby-like in nature, a calming lilt to the visual ripples on the river and the musings of the little rowboat.
If you aren’t already sold, this one is for the hustling parents: it is absolutely child friendly! In fact, visitors- not just children but they’re usually the first to embrace the convention- are encouraged to follow the animation as it jumps about the walls, to trace its’ projection on the floors below you (the animated art is projected through the entire room). At first me and my sister were hesitant, seeing only toddlers and young children running about, and unsure whether we too should join in. As it transpires, our little people are more convincing than we give them credit for, because pretty soon we were walking around behind the art with other adults. So I guess the visit was moving in more ways than one.
Finally, after a long day of some of the best things life has to offer (although I might be just a tad biassed)- art and community- we headed out to the gift shop. At Frameless, to capture a piece of that immersion and take it home with you, there is everything from prints of the artwork, to socks and hoodies, to the classic postcard. Even the lift on the way out is printed with various pieces so you don’t exit the space of creativity and whimsy until you’re really out the doors.
So, as a little endnote to the everyday people of long gone who were denied access to art exhibitions: Don’t fret, for your descendants not only attend, but can be submerged in the very masterpieces themselves!
Already on it ? Visit Frameless.com
References:
artuk.org. (n.d.). A look at the UK’s early public galleries | Art UK. [online] Available at: https://artuk.org/discover/stories/a-look-at-the-uks-early-public-galleries.
frameless.com. (n.d.). Home - Frameless. [online] Available at: https://frameless.com/.
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