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It has row upon row of pick 'n' mix sweets, shelves full of handy household items and ornaments of questionable taste. Yes, Woolworths is back — only this time it's art.
A defunct Woolies store in east London has been requisitioned by local artists as part of the craze for “pop-up” art galleries across the city.
Sweet wrappers, empty buckets, shelving and display units left in the shop have been turned into artworks.
From Chelsea to Covent Garden, empty shops and offices are being turned into impromptu exhibitions halls after the Government encouraged landlords to fill space during the recession.
Waltham Forest council, leaseholder of the Woolworths in Leytonstone, agreed to hand it over to artists for a month.
More than 60 painters, photographers and sculptors, including rising stars from the Royal College of Art, are among the featured artists. They are curated by residents including Mark Hampson, an RCA tutor.
Mr Hampson said: “The wonder of Woolies may have been relegated to a footnote in the annals of British social history, but the wonder of art is still trading healthily here. The works echo the unique and eclectic nature of Woolworths' retailing style.”
Frances Bowman, chairwoman of the Leytonstone Arts Trail artists' organisation, said: “I can't quite believe it. Community groups have found the council a bit unresponsive in the past but when we approached them for this space, they seemed enthusiastic.”
Lee Johnson is another curator organising temporary exhibitions in buildings made empty by the recession.
Her first Watch This Space show opens next week in Covent Garden in a former Italian restaurant, already home to the temporary Opera Quarter Bar.
“We realised there was all this empty space because of people who defaulted on their rents or had to give up,” she said. Property investors Shaftesbury plc have donated the building.
Chelsea Arts Club has taken over empty properties next to the King's Arms in Fulham Road and in Old Church Street with help from their owners. The club charges a small fee and hopes to become a charity.
On a grander scale, Selfridges is backing the pop-up movement by giving its gallery space to murmurArt for two weeks from Wednesday. It will show rising artists championed by famous names such as Tracey Emin, Kevin Spacey and architect Zaha Hadid.
Reader views (1)
The Woolies exhibition and the Arts Trail in general has been a breath of fresh air for Leytonstone. it has cuased a buzz around the town cnetre which has been lacking in morale ever since Tesco's decided to poach trade from the centre itself. Woolies demise was about to put the tin lid on things. We hope that this initiative begins to revive the fortunes of this underrated area!
- Loveleytonstone, London UK, 01/07/2009 08:33
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