Popcorn! is a new participatory exhibition by artist Jenny Pengilly inviting audiences of all ages to explore the sonic world through our voices, bodies, and props.

This exhibition is inspired by Foley artists, sound designers who produce the sounds we hear in films, television programmes and video games that can’t be recorded live on set. They often use surprising objects and inventive methods such as bubble wrap in place of popcorn, shaking leather gloves to mimic flapping wings, and snapping celery to replicate the sound of breaking bones.

Featuring a playful DIY punk aesthetic characteristic of Pengilly’s practice, the multi-sensory exhibition invites audiences of all ages into an imaginative world that explores the magic of sound and sound effects.

Visitors can interact with a range of unusual props, image boards and soundtracks to create their own acoustic adventures. Alongside sound, visual prompts and moving image, the exhibition features a recording den ‘Static Studios’ where audiences can record Foley sounds to accompany an improvised film.

Pengilly’s practice is informed by her ongoing research into experimental music and children’s learning. The exhibition has been developed through a series of workshops at Whitechapel Gallery and Phoenix School in Tower Hamlets, which supports children and young people with autism. Music and drawings from Pengilly’s ongoing collaboration with her niece Robin also feature in the exhibition.