Images of rubbish, projected on the inside of an overturned dustbin, are the first attention-grabbing feature of Navid Nuur’s art exhibition, Phantom Fuel.
As I stood in the darkened exhibition room, I was unsure whether something more meaningful was yet to come, but intrigued enough to stay and watch.
The exhibition was a strange, conceptual fun-house, made up of four rooms of paint squares, sculptures, light installations, videos, and other bizarre creations that defy categorisation.
An overhead projector stood on a fridge of ice lollies, one of which was slowly melting on a window pane.
Some pieces felt contrived – their concepts were overblown, and I was unconvinced that there was really any profound meaning behind an old mobile phone stuck to the wall with plasticine.
I mused and pondered, but it would have been helpful to have more clues about the meaning of it all. Although I struggled in vain to understand the work, the whole experience was rather fun.
A peephole through the wall sparked my interest – I looked through, and came face to face with people in the next room curiously peering back. I looked again a little later, and the group was simply drifting around, oblivious that they had become part of this voyeuristic artwork.
Another piece, entitled ‘these are the days’, appeared to be pieces of rubbish and camera parts taped together. On further examination, and a glance through the lens, extra dimensions appeared and I was thrown into a long, textured tunnel leading into oblivion.
The exhibition is a journey of discovery, and while a slight scent of pretension hangs in the air, overall it is an enjoyable thought-provoking wander.
Catch Iranian artist Navid Nuur’s debut solo exhibition in the UK at the Parasol Unit, Wharf Road from 13 March to 19 May.
