Recently, for the first time, I dirtied my shoes while exploring an exhibition.
Why is that important, you may ask?
It speaks to the level of interaction the exhibition demands. In this case, I am referring to the work “Luminous Light” by Ugo Rondinone, which the artist presented at the Kula Gallery.
The exhibition appears simple at first glance – it consists of only one piece; bronze lightning bolts painted in a bright yellow color, surrounded by sand (the cause of my dirty shoes).
The lightning and the sand fill the entire gallery space, inviting you to descend to them and walk among them.
And once you do, you understand why that is. Never before have you been so close to lightning and seen it so clearly. Its bright yellow color stands out – it imposes itself on you. You walk on the sand, the sound of which you cannot ignore because it’s the only thing you hear. And the thunder is yet to come.
It could be said that “Luminous Light” metaphorically illuminates the natural phenomenon that has fascinated people since ancient times. Once, we admired lightning as the work of gods. But even today, we’re not far from that – we photograph and record them with our phones or show them to each other, saying, “Look, it’s lightning,” wondering how far the thunder struck from us, counting the seconds.
Lightning is still somewhat enigmatic, although now we know it’s just electricity.
And so one finds oneself in front of a lightning bolt in the gallery, looking up as one would if one were in front of a real lightning bolt. But this time, you can study it and absorb its magnificence as much as you want, instead of seeing it for just a passing moment.
Beauty can sometimes be found in such small blessings.
