Scott Brown

Level 1 from Sega's original Sonic the Hedgehog computer game has moved. It's now in Peckham. If you're looking for magic rings, however, you're probably best off sticking to the nearby street markets - this Green Hill Zone, in the Copeland industrial park, doesn't contain any (not that I could find, at least).

OK then, the link with Sega's early work is pretty tenuous, but there is one. Mike Allen and Tim Bouckley's installation at the Hannah Barry Gallery explores the idea of modulating a sensual experience, so suggesting a connection between the artwork and computer games seems reasonable, even interesting. The exhibition flyer makes a quality of this relationship explicit by illustrating Sonic's computerised landscape as one divided into different levels and platforms. If those images look like they'd be at home on a computer screen, the art instillation has made itself look every bit at home in the cold, barren, warehouse space of the Hannah Barry Gallery.

Three platforms, simply constructed out of plywood and topped with cheap grey carpet, sit side by side in the centre of the room. Six smaller wooden islands sit on top of these with ventilation grills on their sides releasing warm air. Above each platform hangs a single speaker playing a selection of spoken-word audio clips. Above the lot are strings of dimly glowing lights. And that's it.

To say that this instillation is visually underwhelming is an understatement. But that's not the point. Green Hill Zone isn't really about what things look like so the artists seem to have spared us the distraction. And, if you just stood and stared at this work of art, it would never make any sense anyway. You have to use it. Sitting on the islands for a few moments, being warmed up whilst listening to some random sound-bite is unexpectedly engaging. With no allusion to comfort except the most minimal use of heat, light and a hard seat, Green Hill Zone distils elements that, imaginably, already existed in the space it occupies. By uniting them around three focal points in the centre of the room it achieves a sense of gravity, quite literally. Often art of this ilk presents itself as a bewildering obstacle demanding analysis. That's not so much the case here, as using the objects articulates the ideas behind their creation. It's minimal, paired back qualities actually help this interaction along, exploring concepts more calmly than coldly.

For me, Green Hill Zone encouraged an inner dialogue about how, with the subtle modification of a few basic sensual elements - space, heat, sound and light - we can profoundly alter the human experience and reaction to something. This is an idea that's been around the block many, many times. All too often, artists let the idea of creating a sensational piece of art get in the way of their original idea.

Green Hill Zone is confidently stripped down to it's essential elements and has a refreshing faith in audience interaction. For all that, it's an admirable effort. However, for some of the same reasons, it's could also be accused of being a tad dull.