On Saturday, I took my daughter to the Paradox Exhibition in London. I appreciate that not everyone can get to it, but I’ve heard that you can find them in different international cities.
You walk through a series of interactions that play around with your visual awareness. For instance, there is a walk-through space that features a continuously turning room – the walls seem to be in motion. It’s weird because, of course, your brain is telling you to adjust. You know it’s moving projections, but you can’t stop yourself from adjusting to what you see.
Numerous exhibits play with space – such as a sloping room where, at one end, you appear as a giant and at the other, you are the size of a small child – great for a photograph. There’s a couch that you can bury yourself in as if your legs have disappeared. It’s wacky.
I loved the maze, which is full of mirrors. I’m sure there were people in there, like me, who were wondering if they would ever find the way out. It’s a bit disconcerting to feel lost and have nothing to refer to except your own reflection. In another space, you could sit at a table surrounded by mirrors and see six exact versions of yourself sitting around the table. Again, a great photograph.
I suppose it’s fun to put yourself in fun situations where you don’t know what is going to happen – like a giant rollercoaster at a theme park. There’s nothing like being taken out of yourself if only for a few moments, and the relief of going back to normality is huge.
I think there is a great opening for a museum of theatre illusions. I’m sure people would flock to it. There is a favourite illusion I like called Pepper’s Ghost. You can make a character on stage appear or disappear right before the audience’s eyes. It’s done by using a dimly lit stage, a special piece of clear plastic at a 45-degree angle, while the actor stands offstage in bright light. It seems they are on stage, but it’s only their reflection that you can then play around with – perfect for ghosts.
The highlight for me was the tube train you can see in the attached photo. I’m not going to tell you how it was done, but perhaps you can work it out. My daughter recommends it.
