Prism
Keiichi Matsuda lights up the V&A for a full look at London
As one of London Design Festival’s major hubs, the V&A is even more exciting this time of year than usual. Whether you’re taking in the RCA grads’ Out of The Woods furniture exhibition or Nendo’s Mimicry Chairs, if you’re stopping by the museum you should be sure not to miss digital artist and film-maker Keiichi Matsuda’s suspended “Prism.” The brilliant, kite-like sculptural lantern, made from a special Japanese paper, displays statistics about London in real time, as a beautiful investigation of what Matsuda calls, “our own, often ambiguous relationship with the data that controls our lives.” From how many Boris Bikes are currently on hire to how the stock market is holding up that day, Prism captures that and projects the information back to the viewer in mesmerizing fashion.
Equally enticing is that for the first time the V&A has opened up its uppermost cupola, offering a sweeping 360-degree view of the entire city including notable landmarks like the Eye, BT Tower, Big Ben, the Shard, Battersea and more.
The massive installation, generously sponsored by Veuve Clicquot, is on view through 23 September, and requires a reservation for the free guided tour. Book online at the V&A.
Images by Karen Day, portrait by Josh Rubin. See more in the slideshow below.
