The Covid Diaries 54: Canary Wharf, Connected by Light
A review of Connected by Light at Canary Wharf. In which I am pleased to find some outdoor art to enjoy! One of the few cultural outlets available to Londoners in these cold winter months is this display of nine light artworks on the Canary Wharf estate.
Connected By Light. An Art Installation I Can See Right Now? Sign Me Up!
I said a while ago that I don’t tend to write reviews about commercial galleries, but will for the right exhibition. Well likewise I wouldn’t normally review Canary Wharf’s annual winter lights exhibition, but did so for two reasons. Firstly, with the latest lockdown restrictions it’s one of very few temporary installations that you can see right now in London. If Canary Wharf is ‘local’ to you, of course. And secondly, they have done some work this year to try to give it more of a thoughtful/current theme, and I was interested to investigate how that came across.
So the concept of the installation isn’t new. There’s actually a lot of public art on display already on the Canary Wharf estate. There are famous pieces like ‘Old Flo‘ by Henry Moore. And there are a lot of more contemporary works, some of which involve light. Every winter for the past few years at least, the Winter Lights installation has supplemented these with temporary works. It satisfies those who want to see Christmassy light displays, and also brings a focal point to the long winter nights.
This year they have jumped on the connectivity bandwagon. It seems nobody can stage anything any more without reflecting on human connection in these ‘unprecedented times’, so this year Canary Wharf has us Connected by Light. Aside from the title, this comes across best on the podcast they have produced. The introduction references the ‘moments of calm and reflection’ and ‘escapism’ the installation can provide. To me it didn’t seem much different to the 2019 version which I also visited. But maybe I’m cynical.
I have divided the nine temporary artworks into three categories below. Not quite the good, the bad and the ugly, but the interesting, the beautiful and the rest!
Connected by Light, Canary Wharf – The Interesting
Ghost Trees, Tom Wilkinson
For me this was by far the most fascinating work in Connected by Light. It references an interesting historic event. When the East India Docks were built in the 1790s, the digging uncovered a subterranean forest with trees laid out neatly all facing southwards. Similar buried forests have been unearthed at other spots along the Thames. The cause appears to have been a tsunami around 8,000 years ago. Wilkinson has created deliberately ghostly echoes of this prehistoric forest, using rings of light submerged in Middle Dock. The podcast is particularly interesting for this work, with Wilkinson describing his inspiration and methods.
Murmuration, Squidsoup
Squidsoup’s Murmuration appeared initially as a commission for a museum in Arizona, but works well as part of Connected by Light. The inspiration was the flight patterns of starlings (collective noun: murmuration). Just as starlings are aware of their immediate neighbours when they fly but not the beautiful patterns they make, these ‘networked’ orbs execute commands while remaining ignorant of the overall effect. They are a visualisation of networked data moving through physical space, but are also mesmerizing.
Office Party, Parker Heyl
The future of office space has been an interesting discussion over the last year. So many companies are thinking about flexible working or permanently downsizing their footprints that it’s difficult to know what things will look like post-COVID. Places like Canary Wharf have been particularly impacted: for a lot of large buildings, the need to socially distance in elevators means it’s currently physically impossible to get many workers in and out during the working day. As I approached Canary Wharf I definitely noticed all the darkened windows which would usually be blazing with light.
Heyl has taken a fun approach to this, bringing life back to the building with a kinetic artwork. Venetian blinds are such a ubiquitous presence in offices everwhere, but here take on a life of their own, moving in sequence as coloured lights change. It’s a party to which none of us are invited, but at least the building is enjoying itself!
Connected By Light, Canary Wharf – The Beautiful
Newfoundland Reflections, Hawthorn
This illumination of Canary Wharf’s newest residential building really is beautiful. And is also the only artwork in Connected by Light which can be seen from afar, including the image at the start of this post taken from Shadwell Basin. What is missing in the podcast and the write up though is any kind of purpose behind the pretty lights. Especially given the building is called Newfoundland, you would think you could come up with something about the Northern Lights…?
Curious Flurious, Baker & Borowski
Alice in Wonderland is a perpetual artistic inspiration, and has been adapted here by Baker & Borowski for the Crossrail rooftop garden. I had been half expecting this installation to be closed; the Connected by Light website states that “[w]e may need to turn off some or all installations should Government guidance change or if organisers feel that social distancing is not being adequately observed”, and this is the least conducive spot to social distancing. Still fine though, as you can probably make out in my video above (excuse the production values). I thought it was a lot of fun, and I liked the accompanying soundscape. It really transformed the roof garden space, and the stylised nods to Alice in Wonderland were instantly recognisable.
Colour Cubed, Mandylights
I liked this artwork because it was deliberately nostalgic. Mandylights’ intention was to use traditional materials (a tungsten theatrical lamp and coloured glass) to counteract the technological displays whose lights constantly surround us. The light is warm, and the colours fall softly on the ground surrounding the cube. It’s like a warm hug on a chilly winter evening. I was just missing the hot chocolate in hand as I viewed it.
Connected by Light, Canary Wharf – The Rest
Neon Tree, Hawthorn
This one just does what it says on the tin. Even the podcast explains it as a tree strung with lights, and a ‘great location for selfie pictures’. So there you go!
Tetra Park, Mandylights
There is a lot more thought behind this work than Neon Tree, but it didn’t quite capture my imagination in the way other works did. Tetra Park is a group of star tetrahedrons, a shape from sacred geometry. The changing colours and patterns mimic the crowd passing by.
The Stories Under Our Feet, Elisa Artesero
And finally to finish, a work which embodies the spirit of Connected by Light. Elisa Artesero’s work The Stories Under Our Feet is simple in concept. Shadows cast by text under benches creates a poetry trail. Visitors can sit on the benches or wander around, participating in the artwork by connecting the words or becoming part of the scene as viewed by others. The effect is thoughtful and peaceful.
Salterton Arts Review’s Rating: 2.5/5
Connected by Light until 27 February 2021
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