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En suite art? London exhibition opens in an Airbnb
Friday 11 December 2024
The address for a new exhibition in London’s East End sounds just like an Airbnb address—which is exactly what it is. *New* Cosy 1 bed home | Shoreditch | Long Stays—a show co-organised by the curatorial platform Project Space and the private art collections company Wari Art—opens at Flat 3, St James Court, 331 Bethnal Green Road on 16 January (running until 9 March). “The exhibition, which is site specific and devoid of any ‘permanence’, serves as a disruption to the cyclical order of how Airbnb operates,” says a press statement, referencing the lettings giant which some consider to be a scourge of urban life today (Airbnb reminds us online that it has collected more than $10bn in tax since the business began in 2007). The show includes works by artists such as Benjamin Kellogg, Boz Deseo Garden, Charlotte Seux and Arthur Marie who presents the drawing Quasimodo, a “depiction of embodiment within unfamiliar space”, adds the statement. Visitors can pop in for a long (or short) stay.
Green shoots for art sales at the end of the year
Friday 11 December 2024
As art exhibitions increasingly venture to unusual places, a trio of curators has taken the pop-up to its logical conclusion: showing in an Airbnb rental in London. The site-specific exhibition is named after its venue’s listing — *New* cosy 1 bed home | Shoreditch | Long Stays — and will have work by 12 contemporary artists that address the notion of “home”, including the impact of today’s gig economy on housing (January 16-March 9 2025, 331 Bethnal Green Road). All areas of the flat will be used, including the bathroom and kitchen, says Charlotte Seux, one of the curators and exhibiting artists.
The idea came about because “trying to find short-term, accessible space in London is extremely difficult”. They are paying £8,000 for a two-month rental, Seux says, supported by the collections management company Wari Art and curatorial platform Project Space.
Their Airbnb host knows about the exhibition. The listing gets five-star reviews, though one recent resident reports that “the sound of the underground trains can be heard inside the apartment . . . If you’re a light sleeper, bring earplugs!”
The Art Market column takes a seasonal break and will be back in January
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