Walking in the Air

...and so I leave the office early because the sun's come out and it's a Sunday and if you're not in the sun on a sunny Sunday I feel bad for you son, and I head down to George Square and I go WOAH because inside the square lies what looks like a bouncy castle designed by H.R. Giger.

It's all part of Glasgow's nice big Summer in the City, a scheme to make the summer months that little bit more bearable for us poor sods who can't afford to go on holiday to foreign climes. And that curio of curios is a Luminarium. A what? Well... in a sense, it's sculpture on a huge scale, like the Blockhead piece for the Tate Modern last year. However, the luminarium combines this with architecture to produce a work that people enter and experience, utilising sound through speakers as well as the actual 'building' itself. Oh, and it's inflatable, so it can - and does - travel all over the lands. Designed by a chap called Alan Parkinson and produced by the Architects of Air, this particular luminarium - which goes by the name of AMOZOZO - was erected on Thursday and leaves our city at the end of today, though I prefer to imagine it'll take off, rising into the sky with soft lights flashing.

So what's it like? Oh, my friends, it's a nice little regression back into the womb! You take your shoes off at the entrance, then enter - through the airlock, allowing the temperature to be kept cool despite the heat outside - into these round passageways, little round alcoves for you to sit in dotted all around, the walls apparently glowing red, green, blue, while ambient choirs sing softly over the sound of fans. Except they're pretty much drowned out by the gleeful shrieking of sprogs as they tumble around, and who can blame them? Me, I just slowly wandered around with a big damn grin on my face, every now & then settling down into an alcove, until about 20 minutes I later I popped back out into the real world.

These things are touring all over the place. Have a look at the marvellously designed Architects of Air site and see if any of them are coming your way. It'll do you a world of good. Here's some pics I took while in there - nice enough, but you really need to be there.

Comments

[Katherine]

I've seen the posters around Leeds advertising it when it comes here. Sounds like it's worth going to then.

[Sm]

It's a Doctor Who episode writ large! Tragically, it's going to be in Leeds about three weeks earlier than I am. Bugger.

[Nagl]

It's somewhere between FANTASTIC VOYAGE and that old-style film in Almodovar's TALK TO HER where... well, anyone who's seen it will know. Actually, you know what it's like? It's just like being in a Boards of Canada song.

Mate, could you not treat yourself to a daytrip to Leeds and pop this in the schedule? Not that I've any idea if there's owt to actually do in Leeds - apart from leave - but you never know...

[SM]

S'unlikely - off to Leeds later in the month to see la Mozz, but am in Copenhagen the week before so traipsing around the country just to go into Jabu-Jabu's Palace is tres unlikely.

Shame though - it looks awesome.

[Nagl]

Pity. Still, worth keeping an eye on the website every month or so, you never know when one of these things might sprout up (I've put a link in under Pretties).

[Katherine]

I'm off tomorrow afternoon. Noticed that it's in Nottingham soon too, but probably at the same time as the Leeds Festival, going from the stench at the station after last years festival it's probably best not to jump on a train straightaway to go in a big balloon thing.

Things to do in Leeds? Well the art gallery and design centre are nearby but all the other tourist attractions are out in the 'burbs so you can pose, shop, shoplift or beg until it's time to go home.

[walkng]

I like walking