Art Night 2018 heads south of the river this July

Published on
March 22, 2018

Programme of internationally acclaimed artists and unique sites announced

On Saturday 7 July 2018 from 6.00pm to 6.00am, Art Night will transform the Thames riverbank with new commissions, one-off artist projects and premieres by 12 internationally renowned artists for London’s largest free contemporary arts festival.

With highlighted projects curated by the Hayward Gallery exhibitions team, Art Night will take place in iconic and off-the-beaten-track venues along a trail that runs from Southbank Centre, through Vauxhall and Nine Elms, and Battersea Power Station.

Art Night is generously supported by international auction house Phillips for the third year running. Artworks will be sited across a dozen exceptional and historic sites along the trail, from cultural landmarks such as the Hayward Gallery and the Garden Museum, to more unusual spaces including New Covent Garden Market, the British Interplanetary Society, Embassy Gardens, and the iconic Battersea Power Station. A group of Art Night Guides, supported by Art Fund, will be on hand across the trail to guide visitors throughout the night, with a dedicated MBNA Thames Clippers boat running a bespoke route until 4am.

Hayward Gallery Director Ralph Rugoff and the curatorial team have taken their cue from the immediate context of the local area, to ask questions about the emotional and political associations of ‘home’, including residency, refuge and security; and even the quest to create habitats on other planets. This edition of Art Night also explores the rich history of gardening and urban produce in the area between the South Bank and Battersea Power Station, which once supplied vegetables, fruit and flowers to the whole of London and contains the oldest continually cultivated gardens in the city.

The 2018 programme comprises new commissions by artists including Turner Prize nominee Anthea Hamilton (b.1978, UK) who will respond to Battersea Power Station site with a new augmented reality experience presented concurrently with her recently unveiled Tate Britain 2018 Commission; Jeremy Deller (b. 1966, UK) presenting a new performance in a second collaboration with the Melodians Steel Orchestra; Tamara Henderson (b. 1982, Canada), inspired by the taxonomies of plants and their diverse geographies and climatic conditions, will respond to the New Covent Garden Market with a ‘Floral Ensemble’ musical performance; and a public procession and performance by Marinella Senatore (b. 1977, Italy) for thousands of people to take part in along the Art Night trail.

Further highlights of the programme curated by the Hayward Gallery team include:

• Dwelling (2014), a single-channel video work by Yuan Goang-Ming (b.1965, Taiwan), in which a comfortably furnished living room explodes in slow motion, projected outdoors at Hayward Gallery.
• Halil Altindere (b. 1971, Turkey) will present Space Refugee at the British Interplanetary Society in Vauxhall, a multimedia installation focusing on Muhammed Ahmed Faris, the first Syrian Cosmonaut in space, now a refugee in Turkey.
• Prem Sahib (b.1982, UK) will install a maze-like structure in a public space in Vauxhall based on the footprint of a contemporary one-bedroom apartment, and evocative of the local club scene.
• An event hosted by artist and activist Liv Wynter (b.1992, UK), at the nave of the newly reopened Garden Museum, with a series of live performances including poetry, rap, music and dance, touching on themes of politics and class, activism and labour, sexuality and gender.
• Cécile B. Evans (b. 1983, USA) will stage the production of the final episode of her three-part video and installation work titled Amos’ World – constructing a TV set at Spectrecom Studios for audiences to take part in a live taping session with set pieces, chroma blue screen, and live performers.
• Lara Favaretto (b. 1973, Italy) will present her installation I poveri sono matti (2005-8) for the final time, before destroying the work in a private ceremony. The work – a red and blue gypsy caravan emitting a recording of the popular World War II-era polka, Rosamunde – will be suspended from a crane.
• Previously shown at the 15th Istanbul Biennial, Life Track (2015) is a video installation presented by Vajiko Chachkhiani (b. 1985, Georgia) in a public space along the Art Night 2018 trail.
• In the Embassy Gardens Marketing Suite, Miao Ying (b. 1985, China) will be presenting a virtual reality (VR) project defying the laws of gravity and inviting the audience for a session of ‘lifestyle hypnotism’.

Running alongside the projects curated by the Hayward Gallery will be special projects and events selected through Art Night’s Open Call, which offers local galleries, as well as independent artists and curators, the opportunity to take part in the festival and respond to the 2018 themes and cultural trail. Details of these projects will be announced in the coming months.

Ralph Rugoff, Hayward Gallery Director, March 2018, said:

“We are delighted to be partnering with the Art Night team to present brilliant works by an international range of artists. Stretching across a deeply interesting part of the city that is being rapidly redeveloped, Art Night will showcase extraordinary performances, installations and films that explore ideas related to “home.” Building on the success of the previous iterations of this all-night festival as well as the Hayward Gallery’s own history of presenting ambitious off-site projects by contemporary artists, Art Night 2018 should light up the night with some very adventurous art.”

Ksenia Zemtsova and Philippine Nguyen, Founders, Art Night, March 2018, said:

“Art Night 2018 will continue to offer an artistic exploration of London, celebrating diversity, culture, heritage and architecture, through an engaging, free and multidisciplinary programme of events. We’re delighted to present the programme in South London for the first time this year and to continue to be a part of the city’s growing night-time culture.”

Cheyenne Westphal, Chairman, Phillips, March 2018, said:

“Art Night has become an established part of the contemporary art calendar in London, underscoring the city’s position as the creative capital of Europe and giving Londoners the chance to see and experience facets of their city in a new light. Phillips is very proud to be the lead sponsor of Art Night for the third year. As a contemporary auction house, Phillips’ goal has always been to make art more accessible, and sponsoring this unique festival builds on our commitment to supporting arts and culture in London.”

Anne Mullins, Head of Culture, Nine Elms Vauxhall Partnership, March 2018, said:

“This is such an exciting time for Art Night to come to Nine Elms, as it continues to transform from an area of light industry to a vibrant new district of central riverside London. The festival is the perfect opportunity to celebrate the area, its heritage, it’s exciting cultural offer, while bringing everyone together.”

Nic Durston, CEO of South Bank BID, March 2018, said:

“We are delighted that Art Night will be coming to South Bank this summer. As London’s cultural heart, we welcome artistic creativity and support initiatives that actively engage Londoners and visitors, and encourage participation. This is exactly what Art Night is about, and we look forward to working with all partners to make this year’s event a success.”