“The Substation” is a wonderful 100 year old building in Newport and is one of the oldest and largest of existing substations. Most of the original equipment has been removed and the building now serves as a not-for-profit art centre. The building has multiple rooms that serve as gallery space and are perfect for the current exhibition, which is on until 8th September 2018 – go see it.
Alisdair MacIndoe (Alisdair Macindoe’s Creative Portfolio) exhibition is titled “Noncompete”. This is installation artwork delivering a unique visual and sound experience in each of several rooms. The artists statement “reflects on the idea that digital technology is a new life-form we are currently gestating. NONCOMPETE explores the inevitable point where technology has agency and its own agenda.” A scary thought but fortunately the art is engaging, not scary.
Alisdair is a clever chap – the art draws you in to visually examine each work, teases you because it appears to respond to your presence, sometimes faster than others, starts moving behind your back, sounds from subdued or to klaxon! I found myself actively engaged with the works – what did he use to make it, chasing which bit might move next, whats happening behind, above or right in front of me. You are engaged visually, aurally and intellectually – this is art in motion, it draws you in and it just happens to looks interesting too.
