Carsten Höller: Decision

We headed down to the Hayward Gallery yesterday to explore Carston Höller’s latest experiment – ‘Decision’.

Here are some of the highlights:

1. The first installation we encountered saw us greeted by two identical entrances, labelled simply entrance 1 & 2. We made the decision to split up and utilise both, not knowing where either would lead. Both entrances took us into a two steel tunnels which gradually became darker, until pitch black, as the changes in direction became more frequent. This was already disorientating, but adding to the confusion was our voices bouncing off the walls of the steel tunnel, so we couldn’t even relate to the whereabouts of the person in front of us. As the tunnel continued, patches of light started to creep back in, which made the tunnel ceiling appear a lot lower than it actually was, naturally causing us to duck – adding to the disorientating and claustrophobic experience.

2. Along the way we were invited to consume a pill, contents unknown, which reinforced the decision making concept. The aim of this was to be thought provoking and to force the visitor to question why they were consuming the pill.

3. Getting the chance to see the world upside down was another highlight. Each of us were given a set of mirrored goggles which made everything appear upside down. A really interesting experience that made it extremely difficult to navigate. An upside down/reversed sign in this area was a nice touch making it appear the right way up when wearing the goggles.

4. The final part of the exhibition was the Helter Skelter-esque slide, something we’d all been looking forward to in order to satisfy our inner child! And it didn’t disappoint, with each of us yelping in the bumpy middle section of the slide – which was Höller’s exact intention.

Overall, a really interesting and interactive exhibition – well worth a visit. You can even cap it off with a glass of Pimms on the rooftop garden bar…