180 Strand is an interesting building. Not only is it home to TikTok, it’s also home to an exciting co-working situation and a regular slate of happenings and exhibitions, thanks to the enormous underground footprint the building boasts.

The latest exhibition is ‘Future Shock’; a vast audio-visual feast for the senses that is all about blurring the physical and virtual worlds to ‘challenge viewer perceptions’. Curated in association with the Fact magazine, expect a mix of light, sound, smell, and environmental elements to delight and excite the senses.

Multiple artists created works specifically for ‘Future Shock’ offering a mix of AI and 3-D digital mapping, generative and interactive algorithms, to imaginative laser work. Some pieces are purely film, while others are purely audio, but all offer the viewer an absorbing mix of atmosphere that doesn’t just make for an immersive stroll; the experience soothes the soul. Most are specifically commissioned for this show, meaning you won’t have seen them before. Some standout pieces are specifically through holographic projections and ground-breaking electronic music.

Make sure you spend some time at ‘Daydream V.6’ by Paris-based Noemi Schipfer and arch Takami Nakmoto. The room is a dual-colour, multi-screen show that mesmerises you as it creates different patterns and weaves between compositions. The result is a meditative experience that captures the viewer and stays with them long after you’ve finished updating your Instagram.

Artists at ‘Future Shock’ include Ryoichi Kurokawa, UVA, Caterina Barbieri and Ruben Spini, Lawrence Lek, Actual Objects, Gener8ion, Weirdcore, Gaika, Nonotak, Ben Kelly, Hamill Industries, Ib Kamara, Ibby Njoya, Object Blue and Natalia Podgorska.

‘Future Shock’ is open 11am – 7pm at 180 The Strand until 28 August 2022.

To book your ticket, visit: https://180strand.seetickets.com/timeslot/future-shock

Written by Paul Armstrong

Photography by Jack Hemes