3 MINUTE READ.

Bursting bubble, ‘Silent Fall’ – Photo by JAKIRA.

There’s something about visiting art galleries, exhibitions, and installations on your own that is just so therapeutic. I once went on a date to the Tate Modern and had to leave early because they kept saying “how is that art?!” at pretty much everything, at a loud enough volume for the people around us to hear. The anxiety I felt… yikes. I’m not massively into artsy stuff, as I generally prefer museums, but if there’s an opportunity to take photos of something cool, I’m there.

I’ve been trying to spend more time with myself lately because, honestly, I just enjoy my own company so much and I think that’s so important. I used to get so in my head about eating at restaurants and doing activities on my own but from attending a Halsey concert, alone, I’ve since gotten over that insecurity; it’s okay to do things alone, and it doesn’t make you uncool or whatever. Thanks for coming to my JAK talk.

I saw that one of my favourite Korean actors, Park Seo Joon, had visited this art installation during his trip to London. Did part of me want to visit this installation just to go where THE Park Seo Joon has been? Yes, but I also just thought it looked really bloody cool and I wanted to take my camera there. But also, I stepped where Park Seo Joon stepped… just saying.

‘Silent Fall’ is an installation by artist duo A.A. Murakami which opened up in October. It’s an immersive experience, containing tree-like structures which release ephemeral bubbles that you can touch, hold, and watch as they explode into tiny droplets.

The installation is closed on Mondays so it runs from Tuesday to Sunday. Opening times are 10 AM - 7 PM Tuesday to Thursday, and 10 AM - 8 PM Friday to Sunday. Tickets range between £8.50 and £11 when purchased online, including VAT, depending on the ticket type. I would recommend purchasing tickets online as it’s more affordable than walking in – you can get tickets to the installation HERE.

I experienced some travel delays so I ended up being half an hour late but, as it wasn’t busy, I was (thankfully!) still allowed inside when I eventually got there. Ideally, I would aim to get to the venue 15 minutes prior to the time on your ticket in case there are long queues.

Upon opening the door to the installation, you’re met with atmospheric sounds, resembling that of a rainforest. The lights start off dim and cool-toned and then transition to a warm red. The room is covered in mirrors so I was able to watch myself try to catch one of the bubbles, fail miserably, and then chuckle at myself under my mask. Although the room isn’t that big in size, the mirrors really help to create an illusion of being in a much bigger space, which I think is pretty cool.

At the entrance, you’re given a glove so that you can hold the bubbles and not end up with a cold, drenched hand when they burst, which was so convenient because I hadn’t even thought about that when I booked my ticket.

Catching a bubble, ‘Silent Fall’ – Photo by JAKIRA.

As I visited this installation on my own and I wanted to get photos of people interacting with the bubbles, I asked for permission to take photos of the people who are in these photos. They were kind enough to agree, and that made me so happy. You have to wear a mask inside the venue so this was great for COVID-19 reasons but also to protect the identity of those I photographed.

I believe you can only visit the installation for 15 minutes before having to leave. When scanning my ticket on my way in, I was told that I was able to stay for as long as I wanted because it wasn’t busy but I left after about 20 minutes because the novelty kind of wore off, lol. I didn’t realise it was just this one room and considering I paid £11 for my ticket, I was a bit underwhelmed. However, as a creative, I do appreciate the time, effort and money that goes into putting things like this together and the artists deserve that. I think it’s important to note that it’s just this one installation so you’re not baffled like I was.