Delight Media Art Exhibition had been on my radar for a while, so I thought it was high time to visit. I chose a Thursday afternoon, so I wouldn’t have to battle crowds, and could truly enjoy an hour of what was said to be “proper immersive art”. And, spoiler alert: it was.
Stepping away from the bustle of Borough Yards (near London Bridge), and into the gallery, I was transported to the streets of South Korea and smack bang into the artworks themselves. I enjoyed it for a plethora of reasons, but for the purpose of this review, here are five reasons why I loved the Delight Media Art Exhibition.
Since my visit, Delight Media Art Exhibition has added guided tours on Mondays and Fridays at 2pm – a bonus sixth reason to visit, as you will gain in-depth knowledge on Korean art and culture from an expert guide.
1) The varied styles
From the Matrix-reminiscent Resonance room to the weirdly funny Goblin room, each room at the Delight Media Art Exhibition feels different to one another. I didn’t know what I would walk into next, and I enjoyed the element of surprise.
Despite the differing styles, all the works are produced by one person: Korean artist Gyoungtae Hong. He aims to bring past, present, and future together, highlighting culture, religion, and tradition.
2) It plays with perspective
The moving projections on the floor can shift your perspective in a mere moment and can make you feel as though you’re doing something you’re not (i.e. moving). Most of the artworks use mirrors too, making them seem endless and larger than life. It’s a cool technique that made me feel like a speck against these momentous digital artworks.
I really enjoyed the installation entitled ‘Urban Pulse’, located towards the end of the exhibition. By standing in different areas of the room, I got a new perspective each time; my favourite was sitting on the central stairs to feel as though the signs were coming right at me (or out of me, when they changed direction).
Top perspective tip: when taking a photo with the moon artwork, be sure to take a close-up shot – the result is epic.
3) This experience is actually immersive
While many galleries and exhibitions are billed as ‘immersive’, Delight Media Art Exhibition truly does live up to this claim. Unlike traditional exhibitions, where you simply browse works on a wall, or walk around a sculpture, at Delight, you’ll quite literally step into the art. The projections cover not just the wall from floor to ceiling, but include the floors themselves – and anyone standing on said floors!
My favourite piece in the gallery was the sea installation, located soon after the Instagram-famed lantern room – as I sat on the floor, watching projections of waves wash over my legs, as the sound of the sea played loudly, I almost forgot I was at a gallery in central London. Powerful art transports you, and that’s just what it did.
4) The soundtrack
Speaking of the sea sounds, music and sound effects play a huge part in the Delight Media Art Exhibition. Each room has sound, and each made me feel something strikingly different. In one room, you’ll feel as though you’re in a busy playground as the sound of children playing rings out; while in the next, you’ll hear soothing rain sounds.
At the very end of the Delight exhibition, you’ll walk through a stark white room, ‘Path of Humanity’, to reflect and review what you’ve seen. The sound that accompanies this room rings out from the recording of a Buddhist bell crafted 1,200 years ago – weighing 19,000 kg. I don’t want to give too much away, but it has a rather moving story…
5) The treasure hunt
To get the most out of the exhibition, you’re encouraged to download the Delight app (available on Android and iOS). Here, you’ll get more installation information, and the best part: a treasure hunt. While, yes, I did concentrate on the artwork as I made my way around the gallery, my eyes were also wandering to find the scannable logo in each room. With every logo I spotted, I got a little dopamine hit – much like the sweet desserts that popped up on my phone would provide.