Silicon nightmare: it's lonely work in Yuri Pattinson's ghost office
Lights flicker, shelves gather dust and cables twist like snakes - all that's missing from this workspace are workers, leaving you feeling like a lab rat in a maze
Chisenhale Gallery in east London recently closed its doors and sent its staff on a five-week break. It has now reopened. But as what? Is Yuri Pattison's User, Space an office, a warehouse, temporary quarters or an art installation? Come to that, am I spectator or viewer; critic or user? Don't answer that.
A swanky new arrival desk stands in what's now called the "power lobby". It looks like the same old power-free lobby to me, just made-over. Beyond, half-installed (or half-abandoned) warehouse and office paraphernalia fills the big gallery. Has some kind of tech company started up, then powered down? Where is everyone? Abducted by aliens, made redundant by a do-not-reply automated message? Maybe they've just moved on. Everything gets rebooted.
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