Daniel Buren - Catch as catch can : works in situ at BALTIC

Approaching the BALTIC from the front, one can see the coloured diamonds on the windows of the facade, but when inside the building one experiences the wonderful effect that the coloured light has on the interior. 

Walls become bathed in various tones of different intensities depending on the weather and time of the day. It really changes with each encounter, prompting the visitor to return multiple times.

Likewise, the artwork on level 4 is very much determined by the time of day and weather conditions. 

At the time I visited, there was a warm, pinkish glow to the space, and with few people, there was a calm and peaceful atmosphere which made me think of being in a cathedral. The lights in the ceiling even made me feel that I was in a church due to their cross shape.

However, it may be completely different if the space was crowded with people and there was a lot of noise. This may be likened more to a busy city centre with the bright lights from advertising boards.

There is a noise, a rhythm, and an energy to the work, created by the patterned lights.

The wooden structures that are positioned around the gallery blend in well with the  wooden floor and  the mirrors make these structures part of their surroundings.

I enjoyed finding surprising areas where rainbows are found and subtle light patterns are created, such as in the image above.

I admire how the large gallery space has been used. Although there are a number of free standing structures around the floorspace, and there is a lot going on with the bright coloured reflections from the windows, it does not feel cluttered, nor bare. 

Downstairs, Buren exhibits a number of works exploring form, space, light and colour. 

I found the simplest three-dimensional paintings most interesting as they were not appearing to be fancy or overworked. There is an element of surprise when viewing the work as ones eyes try to make sense of what they are seeing when walking around the work.

Having never seen luminous fibre optic works before, this way of working and the material itself interested me, but I found myself trying to work out how the material works more than appreciating the actual work itself.