Art that is experiential through multiple senses isn’t anything new, but great artists have a way of creating works that somehow still refresh your sensorial palate, like Doug Aitken’s version of acid modernism, which he also calls his home, featured in this weekend’s T Style.
Reading and seeing photos of his Venice home in Linda Yablonsky’s story was neat enough, as I took in Aitken’s concept of “warm, organic modernism that’s also perceptual and hallucinatory,” seen in the succulent gardens that blend in to the core of the home; tables that can be played like xylophones; and stained glass windows that imbue the Southern California light, creating the effect of a constant sunset.
The accompanying T video adds a whole other element though, as it allows you to both see and hear the house activated — particularly cool: the “light” and “sonic” staircase that is constructed of angled mirrors to create a kaleidoscope effect, additionally it’s embedded with microphones so the stairs are literally musical. Be sure to catch Aitken, his partner Gemma Ponsa, and their friends “play” the stairs and activate other great areas of the house.
