Mike Nelson and the Psycho-Environments, an Infinite Game of Possibilities

Spaces lacking human presences, but full of life, stories and memories - these are the psycho-environments of Mike Nelson, protagonist of an unprecedented exhibition at the Hayward Gallery. From the debris of modern society, the British artist creates alien worlds which strangely echo our own. Objects recovered from junk shops, auctions and flea markets are the prime materials behind imaginary tales which intertwine forgotten stories, citations from science fiction, references to the counter-culture and ideas and beliefs from outside the mainstream. “The installations of Mike Nelson are interactive in the best sense of the term,” explains the director of the Hayward Gallery Ralph Rugoff, “Through powerful displays and culturally and psychologically charged structures, viewers are pushed to imagine a story which makes sense out of what’s in front of them. Open narratives invite us to a game of apparently infinite possibilities, even while evoking desolate and marginalized scenes.” The London exhibition is perfect for getting a complete idea of the work of Nelson, who represented the United Kingdom at the 54th Venice Bienniale, has been a part of numerous international exhibitions and has been displayed in the world’s most important galleries. At the Hayward Gallery, visitors will find many of these works set up again for the first time after their original exhibitions. “My intent has always been to create engaging works functioning on numerous levels. That have a narrative, a development in space, but also a psychological effect on the senses - while you are seeing and hearing something, your mind is already trying to go beyond it and tell you something else.”