The Royal Shakespeare Theatre, on the riverbank of Stratford upon Avon, currently has three interactive artworks vying for attention with a roomful of....er...piles of rice.
The piles of rice are the work of theatre group Stan's Cafe, who have measured the grains in each pile to represent a selection of human statistics. It is unexpectedly powerful. The juxtaposition of the tiny heap representing the population of Stratford with the massively bigger heap representing its visitors in one year is a staggering revelation of the nature of this town. Some measures are more political. Every one is thought-provoking. For immediacy and an added punch the exhibition is constantly changing to keep the comment current.
Downstairs around the foyers you'll find the three Living Walls exhibits, the work of international design group Squidsoup. I think two of them are interactive - if you wander around the shapes kind of follow you. It's a fun trick that gets well utilised in interior design. The blocks tumbling down the steps are good to watch - I think all three works may be at their best viewed after dark for the strongest images.
Living Walls will be at the RSC until 9 September and Stan's Cafe will be there until 31 July.
The piles of rice are the work of theatre group Stan's Cafe, who have measured the grains in each pile to represent a selection of human statistics. It is unexpectedly powerful. The juxtaposition of the tiny heap representing the population of Stratford with the massively bigger heap representing its visitors in one year is a staggering revelation of the nature of this town. Some measures are more political. Every one is thought-provoking. For immediacy and an added punch the exhibition is constantly changing to keep the comment current.
Downstairs around the foyers you'll find the three Living Walls exhibits, the work of international design group Squidsoup. I think two of them are interactive - if you wander around the shapes kind of follow you. It's a fun trick that gets well utilised in interior design. The blocks tumbling down the steps are good to watch - I think all three works may be at their best viewed after dark for the strongest images.
Living Walls will be at the RSC until 9 September and Stan's Cafe will be there until 31 July.
2 and 3 Stan's Cafe:Of all the People in the World, image via RSC exhibitions
