Take a break from Christmas shopping, or just enjoy a family day out over the holidays at London’s most mind-blowing gallery, Frameless at Marble Arch
I spend a lot of time visiting galleries and art exhibitions, and rarely struggle to articulate to interested friends what I have seen and what I liked about it.
Then I went to Frameless, an immersive art experience consisting of four galleries and 42 masterpieces at London's Marble Arch, and saw well-known paintings in such a breath-taking and mind-blowing way that all I could do was direct people to video clips on the Frameless website so they could attempt to understand what it was all about.
And even now, several days after visiting, I am still trying to process what I saw and felt, because other than 'it was just...amazing' nothing seems to fully explain it or do it justice.
One thing I can say with certainty though is that it is an enormous and brilliantly curated space and very well organised for visitors.
There was no queuing, and once our tickets were scanned in the foyer, through we went. And this was on a Saturday afternoon when London was heaving with Christmas shoppers.
That's not to say Frameless itself was not busy, because it was, but the size of the space it occupies and its high ceilings meant you never felt crowded in, or that you couldn't enjoy the spectacle.
So what exactly IS Frameless?
Basically, it is familiar works of art projected onto the walls and ceilings of the galleries, constantly shape-shifting and changing, and all set to music.
There are four different rooms and themes - Beyond Reality, which is just totally surreal and immerses you from the second you enter, Colour in Motion, The World Around Us, and finally, The Art of Abstraction.
My favourite room was Beyond Reality, where the works of Salvador Dali, Edvard Munch, Gustav Klimt and others were presented in the most otherworldly way, leaving me with what can only be described as an amazing explosion of the senses.
I also really enjoyed going round each of the galleries a second time and observing other people’s reactions - particularly children's (and it is worth noting that Frameless run specific dedicated child-friendly sessions every weekday morning which are no doubt a huge hit with little ones).
Seeing people's expressions as they entered the first gallery, and their surprise and obvious delight was magical to see, especially as visitors don't just stand around to look at the works - it is truly immersive, and so lying down, or sitting on the floor, or, in the case of children, trying to pick up the shapes and objects projected on to the floor, is the norm in all but the abstract gallery (where you walk around the exhibits).
And this is why it is hard to actually describe what you see, because one of the most interesting things about the Frameless experience (and why I think it is such a must-visit place) is how it is very different for everyone.
My adult son had a completely different sensory reaction to it to me, and having spoken to other people who have visited, how you see and ‘feel’ the art does seem to be entirely down to how you are wired.
But everyone I have spoken to (including my son) did agree on one thing though - it’s absolutely, (indescribably!) brilliant, and like no other exhibition of art you will ever see. I can't wait to go again.
Tickets from £25 at frameless.com
