An Immersive Jungle Experience in Central London
Step into the humid darkness of Borough Yards and find yourself transported to a tropical jungle that slowly unravels before your eyes. French artist Noémie Goudal's The Story of Fixity presents visitors with a captivating digital installation that challenges perceptions of nature and artifice.
Three large screens dominate the space, each displaying lush vegetation featuring giant ferns, vine-covered tree trunks, and sun-dappled foliage. The scenes appear so realistic that you can almost feel the dampness in the air and hear the distant calls of jungle creatures.
The Art of Deconstruction
As you watch, the illusion begins to break down. Mist appears unexpectedly, water drips from the ceiling forming puddles at your feet, and the jungle scenes gradually transform. What begins as a realistic depiction of tropical wilderness slowly dissolves into something entirely different.
The installation operates on a 15-minute cycle where the jungle imagery deconstructs and reconstructs repeatedly. Goudal deliberately reveals the artificial nature of her creation, transforming the vibrant greenery into what resembles green-tinted illustrations from an old encyclopedia before dissolving further into abstract patterns.
Technical Innovation Meets Environmental Commentary
Goudal's work represents a complex exploration of ecosystems and water's fundamental role in supporting life. The artist incorporates elements of biology and geology alongside scientific research about perception and measurement.
The soundscape, created by French electronic artist Chloé Thévenin, evolves from realistic jungle sounds of insects and animals into electronic compositions featuring percussive beats and hollow echoes.
The screens themselves contribute to the illusion-breaking experience. Rather than being flat surfaces, they consist of multiple relief planes with cut edges that correspond to the shapes of the projected foliage and rocks. As the natural colours fade, these structural elements become increasingly visible.
A Theatre of Natural Illusions
Throughout the experience, water plays a crucial role both visually and physically. Metal sheets on the floor gradually flood with water throughout the day, while projected images of pigments and dyes appear to wash the jungle scenes away.
The installation creates what Goudal describes as "fixed points" regarding distances, depths and human perception. However, as the artwork continuously cycles through creation and destruction, visitors may find themselves contemplating the very nature of how we experience and understand the natural world.
The Story of Fixity represents an ongoing Artangel commission and continues to challenge visitors at Borough Yards with its sophisticated blend of photography, film, and theatrical elements that question the boundaries between reality and artifice.
