All Night Long: Art Night 2019 Takes Place This June in Walthamstow and King's Cross
Barbara Kruger, ‘Untitled (Blind Idealism Is…)’ (2016). A High Line Commission, on view March 2016 - March 2017. Photo by Timothy Schenck. Courtesy of Friends of the High Line
NOCTURNAL FESTIVAL CELEBRATES THE FIRST MAYOR'S LONDON BOROUGH OF CULTURE IN WALTHAM FOREST WITH PROGRAMME
OF 12 CURATED COMMISSIONS ON 22 JUNE
- 12 MAJOR CURATED COMMISSIONS ANNOUNCED FOR 2019'S ART NIGHT INCLUDING WORK BY ARTISTS BARBARA KRUGER, CHRISTINE SUN KIM, JULIE CUNNINGHAM AND EMMA TALBOT
- ART NIGHT TO TAKE PLACE IN KING'S CROSS AND WALTHAMSTOW, AS PART OF FIRST EVER MAYOR'S LONDON BOROUGH OF CULTURE YEAR OF EVENTS ACROSS WALTHAM FOREST
- FESTIVAL WILL EXPLORE THE DISTINCT IDENTITY, CULTURE AND ARCHITECTURE OF WALTHAM FOREST, HIGHLIGHTING THE AREA'S EXPANSIVE MARKET CULTURE ALONG AND AROUND WALTHAMSTOW HIGH STREET
London’s largest contemporary art festival, Art Night, announces first details of the Curated Programme - a selection of internationally acclaimed artists presenting 12 commissions in locations around Walthamstow and King’s Cross.
Curated by Helen Nisbet – her first edition as Art Night’s Artistic Director – the programme will take place on the night of 22 June 2019, beginning at5.00pm in King’s Cross and 7.00pm in Walthamstow, and running throughout the night. Art Night is generously supported by international auction house Phillips for the fourth year running, and this year takes place as part of the official programme for the first ever Mayor's London Borough of Culture in Waltham Forest.
In 1993 the London pop group East 17 released their single It’s Alright, heralding a new era for boy bands and making E17 the most exciting postcode in popular culture. In 2019 this song provides the inspiration for the fourth Art Night festival in Walthamstow and King’s Cross. The 12 Art Night curated projects have been conceived in response to the physical context of these locations and the communities who use them.
The festival will explore the distinct identity, culture and architecture of Waltham Forest, highlighting the area's expansive market culture through a series of new commissions along and around Walthamstow High Street – Europe’s longest outdoor market – and other local landmarks. Additional activations will take place in King’s Cross – London’s dynamic transport and culture hub, only 14 minutes on the tube from Walthamstow – encouraging audiences to enter the Art Night trail via the 24-hour Night Tube on the Victoria Line.
Each artist has been invited to consider ideas around Hope, Love and The Future and how communities might care for and support one other amidst a time of political and cultural uncertainty.
Art Night 2019 will occupy familiar places where people are brought together in everyday life – the market, cinema, pub, community centre, library, shopping mall, museum, car park, school, places of worship and the street. Over a dozen iconic and unique public sites such as Walthamstow Town Square, Walthamstow Library and The Mall in Walthamstow and Coal Drops Yard and Cubitt Square in King’s Cross will feature in the Art Night Curated programme. From cultural landmarks William Morris Gallery and the kilometre-long Walthamstow Market, to the more unusualWalthamstow car park and listed 1930s former cinema Mirth Marvel & Maud, Art Night 2019 will continue to unlock London’s extraordinary public and private spaces to transform them for one night only.
The Curated Programme will comprise of new commissions by internationally renowned artists including Barbara Kruger, who will be presenting her first large-scale outdoor commission in 15 years in the UK, in Walthamstow’s Town Square - questioning consumerism, individual autonomy, desire and power. Christine Sun Kim will transform Coal Drops Yard in King’s Cross with a three-part commission, collaborating with students at the local Frank Barnes School for Deaf Children to create two works – an experimental new multi-channel video installation and a text-based ‘declaration’ in Cubitt Square, as well as a durational sound piece at the new arts-focused COS space in Coal Drops Yard, exploring how experiences of deafness shape understandings of language and culture. Artist duo Hannah Quinlan & Rosie Hastings will present a ‘musical spectacle’ travelling throughWalthamstow Market, which brings together musical genres – including disco, House, High NRG and Pop – into a single dramatic vision performed and centred around a Pride float.
Further highlights of the Curated Programme include:
- Oscar Murillo will be working in close collaboration with people in Walthamstow before, during and after the festival to create a new commission titled Welcome to the members’ club.
- Artist and composer Joe Namy will plug into London’s custom-designed car stereo subculture, presenting a sound installation using local car owners' vehicles and their sound systems in a Walthamstow car park.
- Alice Theobald will present a new site-specific video installation and live music performance staged in The Mall, Walthamstow. Made in collaboration with a local acting coach and shooting on location in Walthamstow shops, Theobald’s 2-channel video installation will explore aspects of the performance of everyday life and the concept of buyer's remorse, referencing popular TV makeover shows such as Queer Eye,What Not To Wear and Streetmate.
- Working in collaboration, artist Cory Arcangel and organist Hampus Lindwall have invited a group of artists and musicians to compose new music to be performed on the organ of St Mary’s Church Walthamstow. The commissioned artists include: Ellen Arkbro, Pierre Bismuth, Kara-Lis Coverdale, Hanne Lippard, Haroon Mizra, Charlemagne Palestine, as well as world premieres by the commissionaires.
- Award-winning dancer and choreographer Julie Cunningham will present a new performance, continuing their research into the queer body, at a school in Walthamstow.
- The historic reading room of Walthamstow Library will host a multimedia theatrical installation by Zadie Xa, inviting audiences to enter into an immersive, subaquatic and marine environment of spoken word, with impromptu performances by dancers and musicians throughout the night. This project is a co-commission with YARAT and Tramway, Glasgow.
- Frances Stark's The Magic Flute - a collaborative interpretation of Mozart’s famous opera with conductor Danko Drusko, performed and recorded with a group of young musicians (aged between 10-19 years old) from Los Angeles - will be screened at 1930s listed cinema Mirth, Marvel & Maud.
- Exploring real and fictional figures from Mauritian, Madagascan, and British colonial histories, Shiraz Bayjoo will work in collaboration with young people from Mission Grove Primary School in Walthamstow. The commission will draw upon Bayjoo’s research and practice on European legacies throughout the Indian ocean region, and consider the UN’s convention on children’s rights, set against a dystopian landscape of failed states and ecology. This project is a co-commission with Iniva.
- Emma Talbot will present a series of paintings on silk installed at William Morris Gallery and other Walthamstow locations, responding to the work of Madge Gill - a self-taught artist, medium and spiritualist who was born in Walthamstow in 1882 - whose solo exhibition will open at William Morris Gallery on the same night.
Running alongside Art Night's Curated Programme will be special projects and events selected as part of Art Night Open, directed by Zarina Rossheart, which offers cultural organisations, as well as independent artists and curators, the opportunity to take part in the festival and respond to the 2019 themes and cultural trail. Details of these projects will be announced in the coming months.
Helen Nisbet, Artistic Director of Art Night 2019, said:
“It’s an honour to curate these 12 projects for the fourth edition of Art Night. The artists are brilliant, and their projects are very exciting. The Art Night Curated Programme centres on Walthamstow Market - Europe’s longest market. This year, artists are making work in the places people shop, learn and socialise - often collaborating with those who use them. At Coal Drops Yard in King’s Cross we’re working with Frank Barnes School for Deaf Children so at both sites we’re thinking about who public space belongs to and who gets to be represented in major contemporary art festivals.”
Ksenia Zemtsova and Philippine Nguyen, Co-Founders of Art Night, said:
“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to work with the Mayor's first London Borough of Culture in Waltham Forest, to fill public spaces and unusual venues with free art this Summer. As part of Art Night's ongoing commitment to widening audiences for contemporary art, we are pleased to announce the first details of the 2019 programme, which will celebrate London's cultural offering outside of Zone 1. Linking this year's two locations - Walthamstow Central and King's Cross - will be the 24-Hour Night Tube on TfL's Victoria Line, which will make the journey home all that much easier!”
Justine Simons, Deputy Mayor for Culture and Creative Industries, said:
“It is exciting that Art Night will be taking place across Waltham Forest this year as part of our London Borough of Culture programme. It will be inspiring to see everyday places – from markets and community centres to libraries and shopping centres – displaying free art for all to see and internationally renowned artists collaborating with local young people. This is exactly what the Mayor’s London Borough of Culture is all about – putting world-leading culture and creativity at the heart of our communities.”
Sam Hunt, Creative Director of Waltham Forest London Borough of Culture, said:
“Art Night has been on the journey with Waltham Forest London Borough of Culture from the very beginning – it was a key part of our bid and encapsulates our vision of making art accessible to all. We are so excited to see artists’ work in every corner of Walthamstow – from unexpected places, in car parks and shopping centres, to the borough’s renowned William Morris Gallery. We hope thousands of people from the borough will embark on a nocturnal adventure to discover some of the world’s greatest artists in their hometown.”
Rachele Caltagirone, Kings Cross Senior Projects Director, said:
“We are delighted to be a part of this year’s Art Night, London’s largest contemporary art festival. Our vision for King’s Cross is to create a cultural hub and to provide our visitors with an opportunity to discover something new and unexpected, and this is exactly what Art Night offers. As the starting point for this year’s Art Night, we invite the public to discover fantastic art events and commissions by local and international artists. We look forward to unveiling the full programme for King's Cross in April and revealing our exciting partners for 2019.”
- ENDS -
For further information, please contact The Corner Shop PR on
020 7831 7657 or Megan McCann, Head of Communications at Art Night
NOTES TO EDITORS
A schedule and details of the Art Night 2019 route will be available nearer the time to help people plan their trip.
Art Night is supported by public funding from the National Lottery through Arts Council England.
ART NIGHTArt Night is London’s largest free contemporary art festival, transforming the city annually for one unforgettable night. Each year, Art Night invites a leading cultural institution or curator to explore the history, culture and architecture of a different part of London, inspiring a series of new commissions, one off events and premieres by international and local artists from all stages of their careers. Alongside this, the Art Night Open programme offers local organisations, independent artists and curators the opportunity to take part in the festival - responding to the curatorial ideas and cultural trail. Art Night contributes to the UK’s art sector through its Legacy programme, which delivers co-commissions, acquisitions for public collections and prolonged display periods - enabling broader audiences to enjoy the programme, year-round. The festival was conceived and founded by Ksenia Zemtsova and Philippine Nguyen. Visit: http://artnight.london Twitter: @ARTNIGHTLDN, Instagram: @ARTNIGHTLDN, Facebook Art Night | Art Night is administrated by ArtCity Nights, a registered charity no 1164449.
THE MAYOR’S LONDON BOROUGH OF CULTURE AWARD
The London Borough of Culture award is a major new initiative launched by the Mayor of London in June 2017 and inspired by the UK City and European Capital of Culture programmes. The Mayor’s London Borough of Culture award brings Londoners together. Putting culture at the heart of local communities, where it belongs. Shining a light on the character and diversity of London’s boroughs and showing culture is for everyone. Now more than ever, the Mayor wants Londoners to get to know each other and feel part of our great city. Thanks to this new award, all Londoners will now have the chance to be part of something extraordinary.
In total, 22 boroughs bid for £1million funding to stage a year-long programme of cultural events and initiatives, and to develop a plan to make culture an integral part of the borough’s future. Waltham Forest will be London Borough of Culture in 2019 and Brent will be London Borough of Culture in 2020. A panel of experts and City Hall officers read and moderated the bids. Experts were from institutions including City Bridge Trust, Historic England, Arts Council England, Paul Hamlyn Foundation, Heritage Lottery Fund and the City of London. Recommendations were made to the Deputy Mayor for Culture and the Creative Industries, Justine Simons OBE and the Mayor, Sadiq Khan, who made the final decision.
The winning boroughs of Waltham Forest and Brent were chosen based on their artistic vision and ambition to deliver outstanding cultural initiatives in their local area, putting communities at the centre of the programme design and delivery. The successful boroughs have demonstrated how winning the title will enable them to deliver their long-term ambitions, put local people at the heart of the programme, and showcase a diverse, vibrant and inclusive programme of work.
WALTHAM FOREST LONDON BOROUGH OF CULTURE 2019
Waltham Forest is the Mayor’s first London Borough of Culture. The award, the flagship programme in his culture strategy, was a major new initiative launched by Sadiq to put culture at the heart of London’s communities. More than 15,000 people backed Waltham Forest’s bid, which aims to inspire 85% of households to participate in the cultural year, engage every school in the area in arts and culture, and to attract over half a million new visitors to the borough.
The year will explore the themes ‘Radicals’, ‘Makers’ and ‘Fellowship’ in a collaboration between local residents, artists and creatives creating a once in a life time celebration of the place we call ‘home’.
Waltham Forest, London Borough of Culture 2019 will shine a light on the character, diversity and cultures of the borough, the things we have in common and the things that make us different, a year-long celebration of the real cultures of London by the people who live here.
FUNDING FOR LONDON BOROUGH OF CULTURE
The two winning London Boroughs of Culture (2019 and 2020) will receive a guaranteed fund of £1.35 million. This comprises of £1.25m pledged by City Hall with additional support from the City Bridge Trust of £100,000. In addition, a total of £1,004,000 has been allocated to up to six additional boroughs for individual landmark projects – the Mayor’s Cultural Impact Award. This comprises £904,000 from City Hall and £100,000 from the City Bridge Trust. The winning boroughs will also be supported to bid for funds that have been agreed by external partners Paul Hamlyn Foundation and Heritage Lottery Fund. The Heritage Lottery Fund and the Paul Hamlyn Foundation will work with the winning boroughs to help them secure further funding for bespoke cultural projects that will help bring real change to local boroughs. Boroughs are expected to provide at least 30% match funding (25% in cash, 5% in kind).
ABOUT THE CITY OF LONDON CORPORATIONThe City of London Corporation is the governing body of the Square Mile dedicated to a vibrant and thriving City, supporting a diverse and sustainable London within a globally-successful UK www.cityoflondon.gov.uk
ABOUT CITY BRIDGE TRUST
City Bridge Trust is the City of London Corporation's charitable funder. It is London's biggest independent grant giver, making grants of £20 million a year to tackle disadvantage across the capital. City Bridge Trust has awarded more than 7,700 grants totalling over £370 million since it first began in 1995. It helps achieve the City Corporation's aim of changing the lives of hundreds of thousands of Londoners.
AIRBNB
Airbnb is supporting the London Borough of Culture with funding to promote healthy tourism. Airbnb’s Community Tourism Programme, will support the Mayor’s winning boroughs – Waltham Forest and Brent – by funding innovative local community project ‘Listen Local’. This will place writers in Waltham Forest and Brent to work with local creative talent and their communities to uncover hidden stories about local people and places.
Find out more and explore the programme at wfculture19.co.uk. Follow them on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @WFCulture19 #WFCulture19
PHILLIPS
Phillips is a leading global platform for buying and selling 20th and 21st Century art and design. With dedicated expertise in the areas of Art, Design, Photographs, Editions, Watches, and Jewellery, Phillips offers professional services and advice on all aspects of collecting. Auctions and exhibitions are held at salerooms in London, New York, Geneva, and Hong Kong, while clients are further served through representative offices based throughout Europe, the United States and Asia. Phillips also offers an online auction platform accessible anywhere in the world, and is committed to supporting contemporary arts and culture through a worldwide programme of Arts Partnerships.
Art Night would like to thank its 2019 Partners and Supporters:
Argent, Arts Council England, ArtSocial Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Cass Art, COS, frieze, Goethe-Institut London, Hiscox, Iniva, Jack Arts, Korean Cultural Centre UK, Lisson Gallery, London Borough of Waltham Forest, Mayor of London, Phillips, Tramway Glasgow, Visit London, William Morris Gallery and Yarat Contemporary Art Space.
