Infinite Mix at the Hayward Gallery.

Yesterday I went to visit a show at the Hayward Gallery named 'Infinite Mix'. This show involved ten artworks which bring together contemporary Sound and Image, in the same way that Music videos aim to connect songs to visual image. In all of the works in this exhibition the interplay between moving image and sound is crucial. Most of the artists have composed, commissioned or remixed soundtracks that relate to the visual element of their work in unexpected ways, and ensure that what you hear is just as important as what you see.

I found this show exhilarating, my personal favourite piece was Kahlil Josephs 'm.A.A.d' a video set to songs from Kendrick Lamar's revered 2012 album good kid, m.A.A.d city. It was presented as a double screen video installation with the side-by-side images either supporting or ricocheting off of each other. It used old footage from Compton in the early 90s filmed by Kendrick's own uncle accompanied by Josephs own footage of modern day Compton. Relating to Andrew Goodwin's theory, there is a clear connection between the lyrics and the visuals. Joseph presents his own interpretation of the album taking into consideration Kendrick Lamar's implied meaning of his songs. The video acts as a social commentary of Compton, the progress it has made in many ways but also how it has stayed the same. I would definitely like to see this video again.

One of the pieces, Martin Creed’s Work No. 1701, demonstrates clearly how a soundtrack can completely affect a video
’s mood. His work shows people individually crossing the same New York street. All have varying degrees of mobility but perform the action without any supports, meaning that the final figure, who presumably would normally use a wheelchair, is shown shuffling slowly across on his bottom. The film is set to an upbeat, punk-like song performed by Creed’s band – had it been more moody or emotional, the resulting atmosphere may have felt unsettling, but instead it becomes a joyous dance that shows off the glorious variety and endurance of the human body.

Also, although it is slightly less related to our project, another favourite from the show was Ugo Rondinone's 'Thanx for Nothing.',  a theatrical piece, showing beat poet John Giorno performing a poem that he wrote on his 70th birthday reminiscing about his life. It was definitely the most powerful and emotion invoking piece in the show for me, Giorno appears on large screens surrounding the viewers, as well as on smaller TV sets lining the floor, making it impossible to escape his frank, if heightened, performance. It showed how even a simple visual of a man speaking can be powerful, which helped me come to the conclusion that music videos/performances don't have to have a lot of flashy production to be meaningful and to connect powerfully to an audience.