Culture / Art Republik

Visitors line up to witness Dominic Harris’s new ground-breaking exhibition “Feeding Consciousness” at London’s Halcyon Gallery

Harris uses technology to construct whimsical and highly personal interpretations of the natural phenomena which surround us

Jul 07, 2023 | By Sanjeeva Suresh

Halcyon Gallery is a cutting-edge 21st-century art space and sits in the city’s creative epicentre of New Bond Street.

It is no surprise that British artist Dominic Harris’ inaugural exhibition has been an immense success attracting the likes of art lovers and art novices to the Halcyon Gallery, formerly home to The Fine Art Society. First launched on 25 May, “Feeding Consciousness” showcased his intricately crafted other-worldly creations that take you from the depths of Atlantis to the lofty heights of Mount Olympus, each exploring an element of the mythical and the fantastical. The collective works display pieces that methodically dissect the relationship between echnology and 21st century pop culture.

Now in its second month, Harris reflects on his work saying, “I’m proud that “Feeding Consciousness” has been the first ever exhibition at Halcyon Gallery’s new gallery and the new space has enabled me to present my works to the public exactly as I had envisaged.” The ongoing relationship between Dominic Harris and the Halcyon Gallery dates back to 2019 with the launch of Harris’ first exhibition dubbed “Imagine”.

Harris further explains that his artwork is about interactive storytelling using innovative forms of technology, drawing in the viewer to an immersive experience of his surreal work. “The ultimate objective is to stimulate the viewer to feel more deeply, and in doing so to reveal something about themselves”, he states.

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Arguably the pièce de resistance of the exhibition is a 10-foot digital sculpture inspired by the Biblical story of the Tower of Babel. Harris’ landmark innovation incorporates the use of Artificial Intelligence and datasets that results in a feed of the nation’s “collective consciousness” by highlighting the top five trending subjects on Google’s UK search engine. 

“Alongside my tireless and brilliant team in the studio, I’ve dedicated the last few years working to upend our increasingly banal and transactional human relationship with the digital space by presenting its possibilities afresh,” Dominic remarks.

Another note-worthy piece Is Limitless which is the visualisation of the ceaseless ebb and flow of the FTSE (Financial Times Stock Exchange) share index displayed on an epic screen. An ever-evolvoling, growing golden tower is constantly added to with new blocks, each of which is stamped with the logo of companies whose shares are being traded on the markets to which the artwork is digitally connected. 

From Impressionism to Pop Art, the Halcyon Gallery showcases its community of contemporary artists and its catalogue of masterworks. Paul Green is the president of Halcyon Gallery and founded the company 40 years ago. He comments, “When I first came to London and visited the galleries in Mayfair, I was struck by the Fine Arts Society building immediately. It has a wonderfully rich, artistic history and I am delighted we can now carry on that legacy.” 

Running until early September, “Feeding Consciousness” is Dominic Harris’s most ambitious exhibition yet with 18 powerful new immersive pieces that shift the role of the visitor from viewer to participant. The result is an exhibition that is as aesthetically breath-taking as it is thought-provoking, presenting a new parameter to contemporary art.

Feeding Consciousness by Dominic Harris runs until early September at the Halcyon Gallery, 148 New Bond Street, London W1S 2RL 

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