Soooo Biennale dwarleeeng

At The Hayward Gallery on London's Southbank, there's a small show of mad sculpture. It's the kind of thing that you might see at the Venice Biennale.

I love the Hayward with its weird layout of balconies and ramps and it certainly lends itself to this sculpture show because you want to see this stuff from all angles...including from above.

As you enter you are dive-bombed by silken parachutes or umbrellas. Internally lit they look a bit like jellyfish as they move up and down.

Then, a vast installation, occupying an entire wall and looking very industrial. Tanks producing foamy bath bubbles which very slowly rise, curl and droop in swathes and blocks lacking any solidity but still retaining shape.

Up the ramp and you're met by giant fungi-like forms.

In a side room there was a massive installation of neon work in the shape of a rollercoaster. A party of schoolkids were in the corner, scratching their heads and trying to figure it out.

I spent most time in a room of strange objects. Standing on their separate plinths were sculptures in various materials and showing great skill and attention to detail. These were all by Jean-Luc Mollene and reminded me of school day biology classes.

Strange indeed and made from soft, flocky materials and by which manner I had no clue.

The star of the show is, I suppose, the massive blobby black sculpture of Tara Donovan. Made from flippy floppy mylar sheets and glued into position using a hot glue gun, this sort of comes at you. It's like something growing and appears to move as you view it from different angles. Like some sort of bacterium or virus. Obviously fragile and presumably difficult to install.

There's loads more to see on the floor above.

If you're in the market for an entertaining and witty show then get along to The Hayward.

When Forms Come Alive runs until 6May 2024 at The Hayward Gallery, Southbank, London.