Get Your Geek On At The Barbican Weekender 2014

By Londonist Last edited 121 months ago
Get Your Geek On At The Barbican Weekender 2014

Transformer, Usman Haque

Ever wanted to climb inside a computer game and be a part of the action? You can do just that in Transformer, a brand new game commissioned for Barbican’s forthcoming Weekender event. Wearing a ‘techno-suit’ of lights and sensors, you and 17 other players can battle it out in the dark to collect tokens and win the game.

If that all sounds a bit too much like hard work, check out the latest installation in the Curve Gallery: Momentum. This immersive work from United Visual Artists (with whom we recently chatted) sees the cavernous space transformed into an other-worldly landscape. You can express how the work makes you feel with the Barbican Young Poets and contribute to a collaborative spoken-word soundscape.

The artistic interaction doesn’t end there. Meet your holographic twin in Darren Johnston’s surreal installation I’ll Be Your Mirror. A live, collaborative dance piece will incorporate the best-looking holograms (so wear a clean t-shirt).

It’s The Skin You’re Living In is a multi-screen film installation from Fevered Sleep. iPhone users will be able to control the action by working together with other participants. And Pod is a humming, six-foot-wide blue sphere that turns sound into a visual and tactile experience (no iPhone required).

The theme of this year’s event is We Create, and there are plenty of opportunities to do so. SketchPatch, run by all-female tech/art group MzTEK, invites you to create animation and interactive drawings with code. The Digital Makers will help you scan and 3D print your head (or anything else that takes your fancy). And Musicjelly uses interactive touchscreens and projections to help you compose your own music.

All events are free (except the concert on Saturday evening). You can just turn up on either day and get stuck in. The microsite has details of all the exhibits and events taking place during the Weekender if you’d like to plan in advance.

Barbican Weekender is on Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 March, 11am-6pm at the Barbican Centre. The event forms part of its Digital Media season, which includes the upcoming exhibition Digital Revolution. You can follow the event on Facebook and Twitter, and interact using #WeCreate.

By Rob Kidd

Last Updated 18 February 2014