Art of the possible: Frameless, the digital art experience dazzling London

Art of the possible: Frameless, the digital art experience dazzling London

The brilliance of Turner brought to life. — Image © Tim Sandle

Frameless is a new digital art project in London, showcasing some of the world’s most impressive and colourful artworks in an immersive experience of gigantic, moving images and sound.

On show are works by Cezanne, Kandinsky, Canaletto, Rembrandt, and many more, presented as a multisensory experience, with moving images projected on the ceiling, walls and floor in large rooms.

One of the terrifying hellscapes by Hieronymus Bosch at Frameless. Image (c) Tim Sandle

Covering more than 30,000 square feet of space, the quality of the digital projections makes for a thrilling experience.

The artworks are contained within four rooms, each of a different duration (although the typical time is around 20 minutes). The audience can stay for as long as they wish and can view multiple sequences of the images.

Dali’s time pieces shift and enchant. Image (c) Tim Sandle

Beyond Reality: This is a mirrored room that focuses on animated surrealist and symbolist paintings, including works by Dali, Bosch, and Arcimboldo. The standouts are Dali’s dreamlike The Persistence of Memory and Edvard Munch’s The Scream.

Munch’s iconic image project at Frameless. Inage (c) Tim Sandle

Colour in Motion: Here the audience can interact with the art, in terms of advanced motion tracking, the movements of each visitor prompt the brushstrokes scattered across the floor to converge into the works of Van Gogh, Seurat, Monet, and others.

The audience help to shape the formation of the digital paintings. Image (c) Tim Sandle
Van Gough in extraordinary detail. Image (c) Tim Sandle

The World Around Us: Classical music accompanies all-encompassing projections onto all six surfaces. On show is Venice’s Piazza Di San Marco as Canaletto and Sunrise over Norham Castle as depicted by JMW Turner, among other spectacles.

The brilliance of Turner brought to life. Image (c) Tim Sandle.

The Art of Abstraction: This room is formed of a series of translucent screens, designed as a maze. On show are the works of Taeuber-Arp, Kandinsky, Mondrian and Klee.

Immersive art brought to life. Image (c) Tim Sandle

The quality of the projects is first class, with the images being crystal clear. Sometimes it is hard to know where to look, but overall the immersive experience works.

The way that images change and are formed is varied and I was particularly impressed by the way impressionist works were bright to life, starting out as a series of digital dots and then phasing together to create the image, be that Monet or Van Gough.

What is wonderful about the curation is the connection between the images and sound. This is mostly in the form of music, although there are occasional supporting sounds, such as animals and lightning strikes.

The matching of art and music works most effectively when the modernist art is paired with jazz, conjuring up the feel of 1950s New York.

During busier periods wandering members of the audience or children running around can be a little distracting, but on the whole good vantage points are easy to come by.

Immersive power of Canaletto’s ‘Piazza Di San Marco’ at Frameless. Image by © Tim Sandle

Often during the experience one is transported to a realm of relaxation and wonderment.

Frameless is a highly recommended, dazzling experience and it represents the realisation of a great idea to bring art to a mass audience.

Adult tickets from £25, and child tickets from £15, with the exhibition running at 6 Marble Arch London, U.K.


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