“What is art?”

Already before seeing Tate Cambridge at the Judith E Wilson Studio, I reflect upon the irony of being the reviewer of a show and exhibition that has Marcel Duchamp’s Fountain in its poster and that, much like the Vanguardist movement it is parodying, clearly wants to push the boundaries of what is accepted as art and what is not. When Zoe Higgins’ Jan Craw, the head of security, orders the person next to me to the ground for being a reviewer from The T…ab (and not The Telegraph, to the disappointment of ambitious curator Fenella Wilderfiled-West, played by Sarah Wilson), my suspicions are confirmed. However, since “art is subjective”, here is my impression of the show.

Overall, the show lacked polish in the acting and smoothness in the scene transitions. The interaction between actors sometimes felt faltering, especially at the beginning. There were moments where members of the audience weren’t sure where they were supposed to look, which was an inevitable hazard involved in creating a show that both engages the spectators at 360° and tries to guide them through some sort of plot. However, this improved as the play went along, with some characters impressing with their spontaneity and humorous efficacy. Jan Craw’s desperation to prevent us touching the art, even the “Do not touch” sign, was hilarious, and Michael Zacharias and Isobel Cockerell were very believable in their impressions of an artist.

The space was used very creatively. The art was displayed well and the location was small enough for the ambience to feel intimate and not overloaded with action, at least most of the time. This allowed the audience to interact with the actors and even participate in a life drawing session. At the end, one was not entirely sure who were actors and who were members of the audience. That was the point of the whole production, and one which it achieved well: to create an immersive experience, rather than a show, that is personal to each individual.

Comically playing with stereotypes and questioning norms, Tate Cambridge leaves you thinking about the concept of art and its commercialisation. Who does it belong to? Who says what is right and what is wrong, how you are supposed to see artwork? Is art only what is hung on a wall?

Fluctuating between the irrelevant and the irreverent, this experimental show brought to us by HATs and Director Rachel Tookey doesn’t tick all the boxes, but it is certainly an impressive challenge to have taken on.