Frameless
It’s somewhat ironic that one of the only things in London outpacing the cost of electricity is the rapid expansion of ginormous, energy intensive video displays. Most of them aren’t much more than giant digital backdrops offering free opportunities to a selfie-hungry public. For a truly immersive experience you’ve got to pay up front. Frameless is one venue that works hard to justify their price.
One immediately obvious aspect is that it ain’t no pop-up. Frameless is a purpose built exhibition space with all the amenities you’d expect at a major museum:
large cafe with wine and plenty of seats
toilets
free coat check
extensive gift shop
There’s even a ‘Blank Canvas’ area that can be sectioned off for private events where you project your own imagery. Or if you’re feeling flush enough to drop twenty grand you can hire out the entire venue, an enticing option for a corporate Christmas party or celebrity wedding. But none of that would matter if the experience itself was a let down, which it isn’t.
Frameless has four rooms ranging in size from 125 to 300 sq metres. State of the art projection seamlessly wraps imagery around the walls, up onto the ceiling and down across the floor. Some rooms have added effects courtesy of mirrors or see-through screens. The Colour in Motion room adds reactive magic that makes the floor projections move around you as you step through the space. (Not as interactive as some of the stuff at 180TheStrand, but it’s a good start.)
The general approach isn’t all that much different from what you will have seen at other similar experiences. All the best bits from art history’s greatest hits have been extracted from the canvas and set free to float about. Seurat’s dots fall to the floor. Mondrian’s squares dance to jazz. Gustav Klimt, Edvard Munch, Salvador Dalí, Vincent van Gogh, Claude Monet, Wassily Kandinsky, and many, many more — or at least pieces of their works — all get an extended cameo, soundtracked to classical and contemporary music.
To enjoy the experience you don’t need to know these artists or their works — just like you don’t need to know that the opening of ‘Bootylicious’ by Destiny’s Child is stolen from the opening of Stevie Nicks’ ‘Edge of Seventeen’. Except it’s always worth your time to examine the original, so the largest room, The World Around Us, answers the question “What would it be like to be inside that painting?” by completely wrapping seven works around you, animating the elements to bring them to life. I was particularly impressed how two different Canalettos had been combined to put you right in the middle of the Piazza San Marco in Venice on a sunny, slightly windy day.
The full list of works, and a bit of art history, is prominently listed outside each room. If you’d like to learn more the companion book for the venue is a well written primer about all the artists and their respective movements. I only wish they had somehow managed to find a way to communicate more of this info as part of the experience. But that’s the deal with these exhibits: they’re not intended to be educational. Which brings me to my biggest gripe.
There’s nothing wrong with a bit of social media, but on a crowded day you’ll find yourself surrounded by selfie sticks and people posing for that perfect shot. It’s a venue that primarily attracts those who are all about the ‘gram. And I don’t really want to wade into the breastfeeding debate, but I honestly don’t understand why mothers set up tripods at exhibits like this so they can live stream themselves doing it. But that’s what I saw, and the kind of attendees you should expect.
And on that note, I should probably add that I had never planned to go to this. I’ve found similar experiences to be an overpriced letdown, but entry was free courtesy of a Blue Monday special and some friends had a ticket to spare. Never turn away a free ticket in London, because you’ll often be pleasantly surprised. Frameless exceeded my expectations and I enjoyed my 90 minutes — about the length of time you should plan to spend there. The venue and experience more than justifies the price, even though I’m still patiently waiting for these types of venues to evolve and enhance beyond a beautifully soundtracked screensaver approach.
Plan your visit
Frameless is less than a 5 minute walk from Marble Arch Tube Station.
Check the website at frameless.com to confirm opening days/times and to book tickets in advance (recommended).
Tickets £25 Adult, £15 child but kids under 5 go free
Follow @framelessldn on Instagram for more information.
PLUS…
Check the What’s On page so you don’t miss any other great shows closing soon.
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