Wonderful Welsh surrealism with Bedwyr Williams’ The Gulch at the Barbican Curve, London

editor

8 years ago

Wonderful Welsh surrealism with Bedwyr Williams' The Gulch at the Barbican Curve, London, October 2016

I’ve seen a fair few shows at The Barbican’s unusual Curve gallery, but The Gulch by Bedwyr Williams proved to be one of my favourites.

The installation runs until until 8th January 2017 and is most definitely worth a visit, with plenty of surprises and twists in store as you navigate the space. Entry is free.

The Barbican website has a good stab at describing what’s in store:

This autumn, enter the weird and wonderful mind of Welsh artist Bedwyr Williams as he brings the Barbican’s Curve gallery to life with his quest into The Gulch.

Navigate a succession of surreal and theatrically staged scenes as you embark on a journey conjured by one of the contemporary art world’s most exciting and innovative artists.

From a pair of singing running shoes to a depressed hypnotist and a talking goat, Bedwyr’s curious and often subversive internal dialogue plays out along the Curve’s space in this fantastical installation.

Physical and metaphorical twists and turns will guide you through the gallery and ultimately inspire you to give your own performance, one that will fill the cavernous gorge of the gulch for those following in your footsteps.

Minute observations are elevated to a monumental scale and compelling scenarios come to the fore on this intriguing and immersive journey.

I loved the camp fire, sea sounds and gentle folk songs that echoes around the camp fire by the entrance to the work.

Shown in a corporate boardroom, Williams’ film ‘Flexure’ is a real joy to watch.

This devastatingly funny film tells the story of a Macclesfield-based New Age hypnotist who becomes addicted on his own rubbish relaxation CDs, with the presentation accompanied by cheesy psychedelic graphics.