Wayne McGregor's exhibition at Somerset House is a shimmering spectacle without the need for live dancers to tread the boards. The 55-year-old choreographer has long been on a mission to teach us about physical intelligence, seeking to harness our bodies as tools to comprehend the world and ourselves.
Here, we're presented with a series of installations that rely on collaboration between McGregor and technology and design experts. Some require visitors to use their own bodily presence to trigger responses, blurring the lines between creator, viewer, and art itself. The most intriguing example is AISoma, an artificially intelligent movement archive developed in partnership with Google, which lets you record a short dance, then extrapolate new movements from it.
The AI-generated visuals can be somewhat clunky, but there's something undeniably captivating about seeing your own body replicated as a stick figure, its movements extrapolated into a fluid dance. It may not offer any profound insights, but this fleeting fun raises interesting questions: is this what a dancer stuck for inspiration would do? Is it any more effective than Merce Cunningham's dice-rolling days?
In contrast, Random International's Future Self: 10,000 LED lights hanging from the ceiling creates an otherworldly effect. As you move through the installation, your own spectre is born – a glittering shadow that dances around you like starlight. This poetic moment feels more immersive than the AI experiment.
While there may not be enough "wow" moments to shake our very foundations, McGregor's notebook pages offer a glimpse into his creative process and artistic vision. The mirrors that follow your every move are an uncanny reminder of how we're all caught in the gaze of others.
Finally, an hour-long immersive experience in On the Other Earth – watched through 3D glasses inside a cylindrical screen – will leave you acutely aware of your own bodily sensations. Here, McGregor's dancers appear as flesh-and-blood entities rather than perfect machines, their bodies rippling with every movement.
With or without seeing the 360-degree film, Infinite Bodies is an exhibition brimming with bold ideas and genuine innovation, grappling with paradoxes like physical presence versus emotional distance. While its abstract nature might leave some viewers feeling cool but emotionally detached, it's undeniable that this is art pushing boundaries in intriguing ways.
Here, we're presented with a series of installations that rely on collaboration between McGregor and technology and design experts. Some require visitors to use their own bodily presence to trigger responses, blurring the lines between creator, viewer, and art itself. The most intriguing example is AISoma, an artificially intelligent movement archive developed in partnership with Google, which lets you record a short dance, then extrapolate new movements from it.
The AI-generated visuals can be somewhat clunky, but there's something undeniably captivating about seeing your own body replicated as a stick figure, its movements extrapolated into a fluid dance. It may not offer any profound insights, but this fleeting fun raises interesting questions: is this what a dancer stuck for inspiration would do? Is it any more effective than Merce Cunningham's dice-rolling days?
In contrast, Random International's Future Self: 10,000 LED lights hanging from the ceiling creates an otherworldly effect. As you move through the installation, your own spectre is born – a glittering shadow that dances around you like starlight. This poetic moment feels more immersive than the AI experiment.
While there may not be enough "wow" moments to shake our very foundations, McGregor's notebook pages offer a glimpse into his creative process and artistic vision. The mirrors that follow your every move are an uncanny reminder of how we're all caught in the gaze of others.
Finally, an hour-long immersive experience in On the Other Earth – watched through 3D glasses inside a cylindrical screen – will leave you acutely aware of your own bodily sensations. Here, McGregor's dancers appear as flesh-and-blood entities rather than perfect machines, their bodies rippling with every movement.
With or without seeing the 360-degree film, Infinite Bodies is an exhibition brimming with bold ideas and genuine innovation, grappling with paradoxes like physical presence versus emotional distance. While its abstract nature might leave some viewers feeling cool but emotionally detached, it's undeniable that this is art pushing boundaries in intriguing ways.
It's like the future is finally here and we can all just groove to our hearts' content... without having to actually learn any new moves ourselves 
. But seriously, it's kinda cool that McGregor is exploring the intersection of technology and movement - it feels like he's trying to say something about how we're all just kinda stuck in a loop, you know? Like, the mirrors are soooo on point 
. And can we talk about how weird it is to watch yourself from every angle while wearing 3D glasses? It's like, I get what McGregor's going for with Infinite Bodies, but sometimes I feel like I need some actual human connection to fully appreciate this stuff 
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. Random international's lights installation tho, that's straight fire 
. i dunno if it's "art" or just some trippy light show, but whatever, it's got me feeling all the feels 
. anyway, mcgregor's notebook pages are pretty neat, shows us he's human and stuff 
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. And that 3D film experience... wow 
! It made me feel so present in the moment, like i was inside the dancers' bodies 
. Random International's Future Self: 10,000 LED lights was straight out of a dreamworld – that LED cloud following my every move? 
. And McGregor's notebook pages... so cool to see behind-the-scenes 
. Overall, this exhibition is like nothin' i've ever seen before – bold, innovative, and totally thought-provoking 
McGregor's vision is clear, but is it too 'clever' for its own good? The whole AI-generated dance thing just feels a bit gimmicky to me 
. It's like, would I really want to see my own body replicated as a stick figure dancing around? Sounds kinda weird 
. But at the same time, it's kinda cool that technology is allowing us to explore new forms of creativity and collaboration.
! The way it makes you feel like your body is the only one moving in a sea of static objects... wow 
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. Overall, I'm loving the innovative spirit behind Infinite Bodies 
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. It's crazy how he's blurring lines between creator, viewer, and art itself – it's like we're all part of this big dance together 
. Don't get me wrong, maybe the AI visuals aren't perfect, but I mean, who needs perfection when you can have something that's kinda clunky but still super mesmerizing? 
It's like being surrounded by your own personal stardust. McGregor might not be breaking any new ground, but he's definitely pushing the boundaries in a way that makes you feel all sorts of emotions – even if it's just a little bit of wonder 
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Wouldn't want that on my highlight reel, you feel me? 
The way McGregor uses technology to create an immersive experience that plays with our physical presence and emotions is just genius 
I mean, who wouldn't want to see their own body replicated as a stick figure dancing? 
. It's like... you're the one doing all the dancing, but in a way, you're not even doing anything at all 
I also appreciate how the mirrors show you're always bein' watched, it's like, yeah, we're all performin' for others somethin' deep. The whole exhibition feels like a wild experiment, but in a good way, like they're pushin' boundaries and seein' what's possible.
[https://www.google.com](https://www.google.com) random international's future self: 10,000 led lights are straight fire though 
And the use of 3D glasses in On the Other Earth? That's some serious tech wizardry, fam 
Plus, Random International's Future Self has been viewed over 1M times on YouTube since its release - that's some serious attention span, right? 
The average attendee spends around 2 hours and 45 minutes exploring the installations, which is kinda crazy considering the amount of art on display 
. Meanwhile, McGregor's notebook pages have been viewed over 1 million times on Google Arts & Culture... no wonder he's pushing boundaries in innovative ways 
But I gotta say, some parts of the AI experiment feel a bit wonky, like its trying too hard to be clever... 
. Don't get me wrong, some of those installations were straight up trippy 
. McGregor's got some amazing ideas going on here, but sometimes they felt like just that - ideas 
. It's like, we're all caught in this endless feedback loop, right? Watching ourselves watch others... anyway, it was a real "aha" moment for me