Figures in a LANDSCAPE Exhibition

As part of the celebrations marking its 250th anniversary  as a teaching venue, the Royal Academy on London's Piccadilly has undergone some extensive, if not eccentric , renovations and refurbishing of adjacent parts of the building,sadly not  equipping its new Lecture Theatre with adequate facilities for screening cinema productions that could enhance the changing art displays or become a destination in itself  as that famous street is now utterly bereft of any public cinema. But wihin the newly,oddly connected galleries is one of the many exhibitions devoted to Tacita Dean, a very attractive show called Landscapes, the highlight of which is probably the most remarkable new film on show in London, a  56 minute,visually enthralling exploration/inspiration from the Antigone.It is a twin-screened panavision fllmed in locations as extraordinary as Bodmin Moor and Thebes (Illinois!) with one of our better actors Stephen Dillane taking on the mantle and modern sunglasses of the Sophoclean tragic hero wandering between the landscapes of the plays of the ancient Greek trilogy,in a complex and fascinating and occasionally playful (I refrain from using the term ludic) but often moving meditation on many themes, apparently prompted by the simple fact that Tacita Dean's own sister is called Antigone! There is more of this than meets the blinded eyes of Oedipus himself and I shall attempt to elucidate more after a second viewing.But meanwhile please  make a pilgrimage yourself during the run of the exhibition.Screenings on the hour, and comfortable armchairs for first-comers.

In the Gabrielle Jungels-Winkler Galleries   19 May-12 August 2018 

Phillip Bergson                                                       www.royalacademy.org.uk