ArtAngel spectra London

Last night I was coming home from work late and decided to take a stop off to go see the beam of light which can be seen almost anywhere in London for the next few nights to mark the start of WW1 100 years ago. It's called spectra and Ryoji Ikeda from Japan is the artist behind it. The towering beam of light was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen and I implore everyone to GO NOW - I imagine it will be busy at the weekend when word gets out. This is once in a life-time, and I will remember it forever.

I went for a walk around the searchlights and had lie-down on the grass next to it so all I could see above me was the beautiful light, and I could hear the minimalist music which had been composed by the artist, and the vague bustle of people around me - lots of people were doing the same.

When I went into the middle of the searchlights and looked up there are lots of insects (and one or two birds) in the air which glint and dance around and make the whole thing feel very alive. It's very reflective - the tower of light, the beams all merging in to one, and the music - there are lots of people there but it feels meditative and relaxing, (apart from the crazy swirl of emotions which are screaming THIS IS AWESOME all over your insides).

Spectra won't be there for long, just a few nights, which is very much in keeping with that notion that 'nothing is more invisible than a war memorial' - somehow they lose meaning if they're always there, part of the furniture which we forget about - how many times do I recall noticing the Cenotaph? - Few I'm sorry to say. How many times have I been past it? Hundreds probably.