Echo Residency: Pudding @ Collective

Pudding is the third and final instalment of Echo’s A LA CARTE residency at The Collective Gallery. The show features a selection of artists' films presented in the pleasingly kitsch surroundings of the gallery’s tiny Guest Room, a space dedicated to experimental artist-run projects as part of the New Works Scotland Programme. Complete with inviting armchairs, lo-fi TV and remote, the space hosts work from new graduates and more established artists, showcasing a diverse yet considered array of local talent.

For tonight’s opening event a selection of six films are projected in the main gallery. The tone shifts dramatically from the quiet solemnity of Molly Mishkas’ Here No Evil to the surreal technicolor of Tae Think Again by Rachel MacLean. Visually magnetic, it is undoubtedly the standout piece of the evening. Female figures with the saltire smeared across their faces mime grotesquely to lines from Sex and The City, dressed in nightmarish costumes that could rival some of The Mighty Boosh’s darkest creations. Terrifying and hilarious in equal measures, it highlights the ridiculous yet undeniably sinister aspects of popular culture.

The remaining films on the whole offer up a far more contemplative visual experience, providing tonight’s proceedings with a much needed equilibrium and a satisfying unity. The show runs until 7 February, giving you the chance to sample all 14 films. From tonight’s taster Pudding promises to be a sharp, eclectic and provocative delight, the cherry on top of yet another successful Echo venture.