"Seeing the Invisible" at Historic Spanish Point

Deb with El Antsui's "AG + BA (AR)" (2014/2021)

Picture this. You're a nature lover strolling through a botanical garden when you come upon two women pointing their cameras at an empty space and laughing with glee. One of the women gamely ventures onto the grass at her friend's behest and asks if she's in the right place for the picture. "No," the bossy photographer might say. "Move a little to your right." Have they gone mad?  Nope. They are "Seeing the Invisible," an augmented reality exhibit of contemporary art now on display at Historic Spanish Point. The same exhibit (it is virtual, after all) is also on display at eleven other botanical gardens around the world. 

El Anatsui's"AG + BA" (2014)

It's hard to know where to start -- or how to describe -- the incredible experience of this exhibit. Before our visit, we downloaded the Seeing the Invisible app. The app enabled us to "establish the work" by pointing our phone at terrain marked with a small sign with a number on it. It sometimes took a bit of patience to find the right spot for the artwork to emerge. But what a pay off when it did. 

Having walked past a couple of markers (isn't it only the art that's supposed to be invisible?), the El Anatsui artwork was our first of the outing. The folded tapestry -- made of bottle caps in the real world -- popped onto our screen. We laughed and pointed in amazement and were about to head on to the next work when the levitating rock suddenly appeared. Deb pointed out the shadow it cast. What???!!!  A moment later the tapestry itself had lifted off a couple of feet, taking on the appearance of a witch's hat. You might have thought a spell had been cast on me by the way my head was spinning. For more about El Anatsui and his art, click here and here. We were off to a great start. 

Isaac Julien's "Stones Against Diamonds (Ice Cave)" 

While I was familiar with the art of El Anatsui and Ai Weiwei (whose "Gilded Cage" is in the exhibit), the other participating artists were new to me. I now have a particular desire to see the work of Isaac Julien in person. His "Stones Against Diamonds (Ice Cave)" might be my favorite of the exhibit. 

The work is comprised of multiple video screens that constantly change. And "Stones Against Diamonds (Ice Cave)," like several of the other works, has an audio component as well. (Headphones are suggested for viewers, but the sound came through our phones just fine.) The haunting music featured drums that built a sense of both anticipation and foreboding.

The story behind "Stones Against Diamonds (Ice Cave)" is very cool (pun intended). Julien's inspiration for the work came from a letter written by Italian architect and designer Lina Bo Bardi. In it, she told the story behind her love for semi-precious stones over gems like diamonds. (Click here to read the letter in essay form. It's wonderful.) Bo Bardi's words got Julien thinking about how many extraordinarily beautiful things exist in the world that we don't appreciate. 

The Ice Caves, located in Southwestern Iceland, are one example. In this case, there's a good excuse for people not visiting. The glacial caves are only accessible a few days a year due to extreme weather conditions. But having seen the film, I understand why he chose this spot. Julien's team built a staircase by hand into the ice caves as an homage to Bo Bardi's work. Also included are glass and concrete easels for which she was known. To watch Julien's video, which runs about 6-1/2 minutes, click here. (Apologies for the ads and the chatter of the viewers.) Interestingly, the project was commissioned by Rolls Royce in 2015 for Art Basel. Is Rolls Royce is comparing itself to an underappreciated precious stone? Click here for more photos of the video and info about Rolls Royce's art program. And click here to get to Julien's website. 

I could go on -- there are 13 works in all -- but this exhibit really needs to be seen in person to be fully appreciated. The good news is that "Seeing the Invisible" will run through August 2022. Other U.S. sites include the botanical gardens in Denver, San Diego and Tucson. For more information about the show and where it can be seen, click here. Make sure to read the "About the Exhibition" portion. It's fascinating -- and taught me the new work "phygital." (Now to find a way to work it into a conversation!)  I can't wait to go see the invisible again.