Anything with the words "featuring Jedi Jugglers" fills us full of dread. Well, fills us with a mental image of middle class boys called Crispin or Nathan wearing combat trousers and flicking their dreadlocks around whilst earnestly juggling like soldiers going off to war in 1914. But this "illumination extravaganza", is in the crypt of St Pancras Church on Euston Road, which fact alone guaranteed our attendance at their public opening. Great pains were taken to point out that it wasn't a private view. This was attested to by the huge queue snaking around onto the Euston Road.
The actual work was a mixed bag. There was some stuff that we loved; the sculpture consisting of two large plug lamps coiling into a crypt like snakes charmed by a very proficient snake charmer, by Vincenzo Di Maria and the strange light bulb candles positioned to look like it was a colony of subterranean mushrooms by David Chalkley. Madi Boyd's work comprising shards of light intersecting with lines of metal was briliant. There was some stuff that was disappointingly derivative, for example a rip off of Emin ripping off Nauman... By rip off, we actually mean 're-interpretation of' obviously.
But kudos to the curator for bagging such an amazing location, one which quite simply works for light based artwork. Worth a visit if you are near the Euston Road. Oh, and the Jedi Jugglers turn out to be an actual troupe, who weren't that bad either.
By Oliver Gili
Illumini @ The Crypt, St Pancras Church, Euston Rd/ Duke's Rd, London, NW1 2BA, until 17th September. Open daily 11am-7pm. Free. For more information click here.
Image of Cybernetic Humanoids by Jane Webb.
