Amazed again! To think, this is where art that doesn't (or
can't) belong in the places like The National Gallery gets exhibited and it all
started with one man’s personal collection and his benevolence in wanting to
share it with the public.
I was perplexed at first by the Richard Wilson installation
titled “20:50”; the one where immediately all your senses begin to scramble to
make logical assumptions of it all. At first step into this room, the sense of
smell heightens due to the overpowering oil spill or tar scent, followed by a
conjoined effort from all other senses to figure out where the heck that smell
is coming from, and if it’s normal. Next, the brain begins to think what
exactly is it that we’re supposed to be looking at, and okay, what if I still
can't figure it out after several minutes? What do I do now? Leave?
On the day I went, I actually witnessed several visitors turn
away at the immediate judgment of this piece based on appearance alone. They
honestly thought this was NOT an art installation, but rather only a room under
construction. How funny! Some visitors even went as far as to request for a
gallery employee to explain why this was created and what it was they were
supposed to look at. The fervor in their quest to know about the piece was
remarkable to watch. I was a voyeur in a public space that was incredibly vulnerable
to intellectual subjugation and additionally because these “highbrow” people
(seemingly well-educated) had no clue what this piece of contemporary art was
and it bothered them to not have all the answers. After the thorough
explanation from the gallery employee, the visitors seemed a bit still bewildered
but satisfied that at least they walked away with the concept of the
installation piece. 
The rest of the Saatchi Gallery rooms made good use with the amount
of adequate space by categorizing genres accordingly. Also, the manner in which
they incorporate artists' bio was also impressive for it painted a shared
spotlight of merit rather than emphasize just one individual. The art is
subjective but the Saatchi Gallery also adds subjectivity to that feature by
not implying anything is grander than something else and only presenting ideas
to allow the viewers to scrutinize and judge for themselves. Once again, I was
very impressed. Museums and galleries here simply can't be beat. London
certainly sets the bar high even when it comes to "lowbrow" art. If it’s
grand enough to confuse and ignite a quest for answers in these hoity-toity
people, then that’s saying something. C'est magnifique!
Further along at the Freud Museum, I was impressed
by few but significant things. One being that he had read more archeology books
than psychology books and collected anthropological figurines as reference and
reminder to try to “unearth” the past in order to study (and solve) the present.
It was shocking to hear that Dr. Freud had cancer of the jaw for about 16 years (yikes!),
but we could assume it was a result of his excessive smoking habit. And although
he only lived at this address for approximately a year, it was nice to see the
transition from Vienna to London allowed him the tranquility in that house,
that remarkable neighborhood, to focus on his dream analysis research. No photos
allowed of the inside of the house, but this is what the Freuds’ (both Sigmund and Anna's) view would
have looked like every time they looked out this window. Probably to analyze any passers-by. 
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