Berghaus

Time to Get Out

Berghaus’s installation proposes a walk in the wilderness to reconnect with our emotional selves.

The wilderness has long been an arena for emotional self-discovery, from Henry David Thoreau’s retreat to Walden Pond in search of “the essential facts of life” to Cheryl Strayed’s quest for redemption on the Pacific Crest Trail, as depicted in the film Wild. Berghaus’s installation, Time to Get Out, celebrates this deep human need to escape civilisation and connect with nature. “We want visitors to experience a moment of clarity that convinces them that they can find their true selves by setting aside the humdrum trappings of modern life and heading to the great outdoors,“ the designers say.

Visitors will be taken on a journey from an enclosed space in the middle of a big city to a light-filled expanse representative of untrammelled nature. They first enter a tunnel of corrugated metal that invokes the industrial edgelands of the city and the claustrophobic feeling of a morning commute. An oppressive misophonia of sound adds to the growing sense of stressfulness as visitors become increasingly disconnected from the outside world. Eventually, however, they emerge into a translucent, full-height space, where a painting representing the different seasons is projected onto a vast canvas. In the heart of Somerset House, the outdoors is brought to life, giving visitors an opportunity to reflect on how they spend their valuable time.

Credits:

• Design Team: Katie Greenyer, Samuel Whitaker, Laura Allcott, James Hodgeson
• Thanks to; Berghaus, Pentland Creative Agency, Right lines Communications, Pentland Communications
• Supplier: Litestructures, Beam lighting, Janek Schaefer Sound