The latest video art exhibition at 180 the Strand, titled Paradigm Shift, is a cacophony of works from legends such as Andy Warhol, Derek Jarman, and Nan Goldin, but it lacks coherence. The curators have thrown together a disparate collection of pieces, from Mark Leckey's 1990s rave homage to Josèfa Ntjam's CGI sea creatures 'queering evolution', leaving visitors bewildered rather than enlightened.
The show opens with three iconic 1990s works: Leckey's Fiorucci Made Me Hardcore, Pipilotti Rist's Ever Is Over All, and Gillian Wearing's Dancing in Peckham. These pieces, which explore youth culture, rebellion, and awkward self-expression, set a high bar. However, the exhibition quickly veers into chaotic territory with Ryan Trecartin's lo-fi sitcom, Telfar Clemens' fashion audition, and Dara Birnbaum's disco Wonder Woman.
Despite some strong individual works—such as Arthur Jafa's hallucinatory piece and Martine Syms' moving exploration of blackness—the exhibition fails to weave them into a cohesive narrative. The inclusion of Derek Jarman's Super 8 experiments feels arbitrary, and the overarching theme of a 'paradigm shift' remains unclear.
Nevertheless, the immersive presentation at 180 Studios, with its loud and in-your-face installations, almost compensates for the lack of curatorial logic. Visitors may leave scratching their heads, but the sheer sensory overload can still be captivating.
