Bob Marley One Love Experience debuts at the Saatchi Gallery
The Bob Marley One Love Experience has finally made its debut at London’s Saatchi Gallery for a limited ten-week experience before it embarks on a multi-city tour. This unique experience showcases previously unseen Marley photographs and memorabilia whilst immersing audiences on a journey through his lifestyle, passions, influences, and enduring legacy.
Credit: Adrian Boot
The experience starts in the One Love Music Room which commemorates Bob Marley’s achievements. This room displays various vinyl covers on the walls as well as personal memorabilia such as typed and handwritten lyrics and a replica of a stage-worn jacket. The vibe is art gallery with a modern retro twist sprinkled with a bit of positivity via a big inspirational quote near the entrance.
The journey then takes you to the One Love Forest, where the room is filled with fake grass, shrubbery and smoke with a soundtrack playing Marley’s hits interspersed with chirping wildlife. As this is an experience, there are also bean bags scattered in a corner so that you can catch up with your friends as you stare into an inspirational quote amidst the wall of greenery.
Credit: Murphy/Hershman
The scenery then changes as you are given a pair of headphones and ushered through to the Soul Shakedown Studio. At first, I thought it was a silent disco, but it’s more like a silent live concert. Scenes of Bob Marley in concert are projected across the walls amidst a dancefloor with a giant silver disco ball. I thought this part was really cool as you get to feel like you’re in the front row of a Bob Marley concert without the hassle of wading through the crowds.
Following the desire of Cedella Marley, Bob Marley’s daughter, to have the “experience enjoyed by all generations”, there are two booths with positive backdrops and a selection of props to take some photos fit for the gram before you enter the next room.
Credit: Murphy/Hershman
The Beautiful Life felt like an adult playground as it was decked out with an actual jukebox (yes, I’ve never seen one before this experience) which allowed you to queue up your favourite Bob Marley song, foosball tables and a pinball machine. I had never played a physical pinball machine before so it was such a novelty to use actual buttons and levers to play the game. All this was against the backdrop of Bob Marley’s personal life depicting him playing football, table tennis and just chilling. There was also an original pair of Bob Marley’s shoes from the 1970s, it was really well preserved.
Jonathan Shank, director and producer of The Bob Marley One Love Experience, hopes that visitors “take a bit of positivity away from it and sprinkle that back into the world”. I was definitely experiencing this vibe at that point in the exhibition and would have been happy if it ended here.
Credit: Adrian Boot
Fortunately, the next bit gets better as you are presented with a replica of the backstage corridor of a Marley concert, which seemed a bit too realistic that it’s almost eerie. There are flight cases, setlists, director’s chairs with names, and guitars from past tours. However, instead of the curtains opening into a stage, you are presented with a Concrete Jungle and Fan Art Exhibition.
This part felt like a waking dream, as within seconds you literally went from a backstage corridor to the streets filled with beautiful art (except that you have Marley music instead of the noise and pollution). The art across the walls was submitted by both professional and amateur artists across the globe. I was particularly impressed with a series of mixed media art depicting various Bob Marley portraits using broken vinyl records. There was also a little installation depicting a miniature flat filled with what I would call a ‘one love vibe’.
Credit: Adrian Boot
Finally, The Next Gen Room celebrates Bob’s family and legacy through the next generation. Amidst photographs and records of family achievements, there is a tree in the centre of the room which houses notes from visitors of the experience. You are invited to write what ‘One Love’ means to you and hang your bit onto the tree.
After leaving your mark on the experience, you then have the option to take a part of the experience with you as the gift shop sells various posters, items of clothing, mugs, etc. I was particularly fascinated that there was a facemask with the experience logo for sale.
Credit: Adrian Boot
Whether you’re a fan or just a curious stranger, the Bob Marley One Love Experience intimately invites you into the world of the artist we already know and love in the most immersive way possible. It’s definitely an experience not to miss.
The Bob Marley One Love Experience is produced by Terrapin Station Entertainment in conjunction with the Marley family with Senbla serving as local producer and promoter.
Bob Marley One Love Experience
Saatchi Gallery
Duke of York’s HQ, King’s Rd
London SW3 4RY
2nd February 2022 – 18th April 2022
10am – 6pm, Monday – Sunday (last admission 5.00pm)
Standard tickets from £18.00, (£10 children from 9 to 14, £16 students and seniors)
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