Oliver Beer Albion Waves

Opening 9 February 2023, Oliver Beer’s immersive new installation drew inspiration from the cultural and social changes in Britain’s material history and its ever-changing position across the globe.

Inspired by the 14,000 Roman artefacts discovered on the Bloomberg site during the 2012 - 2014 archaeological excavations, Albion Waves will feature a constellation of 28 historic British vessels suspended from the ceiling, a myriad selection of British objects from the past 2,000 years.  Each of the suspended vessels contains a microphone, meaning that each object’s “voice” will be amplified when the microphones are turned on, triggered when movement sensors detect the visitors’ presence. Traversing centuries and varying in colour, form, size and origin, the installation will be played by the viewer as they move through the space, evolving into a gentle orchestral song as the bodies and movement of visitors interact with the work. 

To accompany the sound installation, Beer has made dynamic new ‘Resonance Paintings’, using the sounds of these vessels to move finely ground pigment into beautiful geometric patterns that are then permanently fixed onto the canvas.