Decode at the V&A
I finally got round to going to see Decode at the V&A last weekend – something that had been on my geek list for a long time. If you haven’t heard of it, you can read about it in detail on the V&A site, and you can see a few examples of the stuff it featured at the top of this post, but I’d urge you to get down there and see it. And, more than that, to get down there and play with it, interact with it, participate in it, and get involved with it. Because it’s BRILLIANT.
Yes, some bits are geekier than others. As you’ll see from the V&A article, it’s split into three sections (Code, Interactivity and the Network), and the first of those is pretty hardcore on occasion, when you get deep into the artistic visualisations of real-time code and data (although, you know, on a purely aesthetic level, it’s just dead pretty), but it was the second two sections where I really started to fall in love with Decode.
As far as I’m concerned, digital media is all about engagement and participation, and Decode really brings it to life in beautiful and entertaining ways. Sure, there’s something slightly odd about going into a dark room in an old museum in South Kensington to experience the artistic and interactive freedom that digital media bring, but it’s also a hell of a lot of fun. I was there on my own, and it took me a while to shake off the shackles and start titting about with the exhibits in the way they were designed to be titted about with, but I got there; and it was well worth it in the end.
And it is worth devoting some time to this. If, like me, you have a job, you’ll probably find that you’re there when it’s quite busy, and there will be queues for all the fun stuff – but make sure you queue, and make sure you have a go. Watching is one thing, but it’s when you get involved that Decode really comes to life.
It’s open ’til April 11th, £5 for adults, £4 for concessions. Go play.
Decode is truly becoming the Emperor’s New Clothes of the London geek. £5 to look at a selection of over-elaborate screensavers. I was singularly unimpressed. Poorly laid-out, too, although this has become something of a V&A hallmark if the new Renaissance Galleries are anything to go by. Disappointing showing from such a great museum.
Very sweet post, although I’m on a crusade against the word “engagement”. Except in the original, martial sense.
I thought it was boring.
Yennings has it right.
Did you play though? Did you jump around like a tit?
Those were the fun bits.
How’s Vancouver?
I’ve left Vancouver and am now in Portland.
Back to Vancouver Thursday, or something.