7 Things To See At Art Night This Weekend

Laura Reynolds
By Laura Reynolds Last edited 57 months ago

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7 Things To See At Art Night This Weekend
The curators in front of the Barbara Kruger mural in Walthamstow Town Square. Image: Tabish Khan

Art Night 2019 takes place on Saturday, with free art installations and projects on show all night across Walthamstow and King's Cross.

The two areas are linked by the Victoria line night tube, and between them host a curated programme of 12 artist projects chosen by Artistic Director Helen Nisbet, plus 40 other independent projects at various cultural institutions.

The events this year are inspired by pop band East 17’s 1993 song It's Alright (from an album entitled Walthamstow), in a nod to Waltham Forest's tenure as London Borough of Culture 2019.

In addition to the overnight event on Saturday 22 June, a smaller selection of the projects opens on Sunday 23 June 12pm-4pm, aimed at families. Here's our pick of the programme:

Barbara Kruger, Walthamstow

A former Barbara Kruger work, located on the New York Highline in 2016. Photo by Timothy Schenck. Courtesy of Friends of the High Line

Artist and collagist Barbara Kruger unveils a new, large-scale work on a site in Walthamstow Town Square. Like much of her work, it deals with topics of consumerism, individual autonomy, desire and power.

The Bank Job, Walthamstow

Image: The Bank Job. Courtesy of the artists.

HSCB — Hoe Street Central Bank — opened its doors not as a functioning bank, but as a project looking at money and debt in the current economic system. The project has already seen banknotes printed and sold to raise money to buy and write-off local debt. For Art Night, see coins being crafted from the remains of a van containing £1.2m of debt that was exploded.

The Eighth Automobile, Walthamstow

Photo: Sara Nimeh

Artist and composer Joe Namy commandeers two multi-storey car parks for a performance celebrating London's stereo culture. A group of cars with huge sub-woofers are linked up to create an immersive, synchronised surround sound environment, playing compositions that you'll feel as much as you'll hear.

Your Own Authority, Walthamstow

Emma Talbot's work at Mirth, Marvel and Maud. Image: Tabish Khan

Silk paintings by artist Emma Talbot are installed at two locations. A painted canopy suspended from the ceiling in the William Morris Gallery Tea Room responds to the work of Madge Gill, a self-taught artist, medium and spiritualist born in Walthamstow in 1882. A second work at Mirth, Marvel and Maud, reflects on the unique history of the site.

Poems From The Planets, King's Cross

Image: Demelza Watts, Eight Planets, Drawing, 2019

Anthony Gormley's sculpture, Planets, has been in the courtyard of the British Library since 2002. For Art Night, artist Demelza Watts works with children from the local Maria Fidelis Catholic School to collectively compose seven poems. Each of the students offers a special one-off performance of the works at the Poet’s Circle, in front of the relevant planet sculpture, leaving the Earth spot empty.

Imaginary Cities, King's Cross

Image: Michael Takeo Magruder

British Library artist-in-residence Michael Takeo Magruder has created fantastical cityscapes, using a combination of traditional art methods including woodworking and metal gilding, and digital technology. The work uses live data from the British Library's own collection of urban maps.

Top of the Bots Karaoke Night, King's Cross

Image: Libby Heaney, ‘Singing’. Courtesy of the artist

If karaoke is your Saturday night go-to, you're catered for. Artist Libby Heaney's Top of the Bots karaoke night at the Star of Kings pub is a participatory experience exploring identity, artificial intelligence, and pop culture. Visit a hidden karaoke room where you can perform as selected 90s musicians, and appear on the screen as the original singer via new AI technology.

Where to eat and drink for Art Night 2019

The official Art Night map also highlights places to eat and drink throughout the night in both locations. Our picks are these:

The Jellied Eel, Walthamstow

The Jellied Eel, a pop-up cocktail and croquetas bar housed in the historic L Manze pie and mash shop on Walthamstow Market, reopens for one night only selling gourmet croquetas and various cocktails.

Mother's Ruin Gin Palace, Walthamstow

Cocktail and gin bar Mother's Ruin on Ravenswood Industrial Estate stays open until 2am and offers entertainment in the form of gingo (gin + bingo) as well as a decent cocktail menu.

Canopy Market, King's Cross

Street food hotspot Canopy Market stays open until 11pm, serving dishes including Korean bibimbap and Korean fried chicken, cheese melts, fresh pasta, desserts, English wine, craft beer and Masala Chai, all under one roof.

Art Night 2019 takes place from 5pm (King's Cross) and 7pm (Walthamstow) on Saturday 22 June 2019. See the map for a full programme of what's happening where. Events are free.

Last Updated 19 June 2019