Usurp Art Gallery
The Usurp Art Collective has successfully launched the only contemporary art gallery and studios in the London Borough of Harrow with the first exhibition event "Naissance" on Fri 12 Feb 2010
Contributing Artists include: Mona Hatoum, Disinformation, Chila Burman, Jess Hurd, Matt Jordan, Dulari Summaria, Alia Syed, Jeremy James Wood & Nazneen Ayyub-Wood, Sousan Luqman, Vista Mundi, Steve Beresford, The Pardhan Gond Collective, Usurp, Tokyo Rinpa Eshidan.
Performances by Dr Das, Emergency Bass Sound System, Najma Akhtar and Russell Martin.
The Usurp Art Gallery opens in a classic 1930's former butcher's shop with a group exhibition titled "Naissance" (birth of a movement or organization). Usurp has been inspired by the writings of Jean-Richard Bloch (1884–1947), playwright, political thinker, poet and anti-fascist. In his essay "Naissance d’une Culture" ("Birth of a Culture" 1936) he called for an art that would associate the democratic tradition with mass culture.
Exhibition continues until 31st March 2010
Opening times: Thursday to Sunday 2 to 8pm & by appointment
Usurp Art Gallery & Studios
140 Vaughan Road, London HA1 4EB
0208 426 6264 | 07956 817038
art@usurp.org.uk
Download: Naissance Press Release | Artists biogs
click on image to enlarge
Usurp is a not for profit art collective supported by a grant from Arts Council England. Open to experimental ideas in all media, we support artists to collaborate with communities in research and action. Usurp actively encourages a wide range of audiences to participate in the creation of artworks that challenge conformity, prejudice and discrimination.
Usurp Gallery - Launch
The launch of the Usurp Art Gallery on 12 Feb 2010 was a huge success. Over 400 people came through the gallery filling the spaces with excitement and warmth. Many of the artists were present and chatted about their work which was much appreciated. The public filled our comments book with big praise for the artworks and the space. The musicians were amazing, freeforming between the dub bass sounds of Dr Das (founder of Asian Dub Foundation), classical harpist Russell Martin and the incredible voice of internationally renowned Ghazal singer Najma Akhtar, and classical singer Sonia Mehta.
A big thank you to our launch sponsor: Mr. Manubhai Madhvani
"This is the best art opening I have ever been to!" Alia Syed Film-maker
"I lived in Harrow for years - this has been a fantastic night and I am so glad that this is finally happening here" Paul Goodwin - Tate Britain
click on image to enlarge
See snippets from the night here:
Usurp Gallery Launch Party
Usurp Gallery - Emergency Bass Sound System
Usurp Gallery - Forthcoming events
"The Last Sunday" Monthly Music Adventures
Free improv + electronic + noise +spoken word + experimental
3 - 6pm Sunday 28th February 2010
Every last Sunday of every month
"TEEN AGE" Exhibition by Cathy Ward
16th April – 31st May 2010
Opening night launch: 16th April "An Evening with Cathy Ward"
Iniva commission 2009
Made in London March 2009
Exhibited at INIVA. Rivington Place London EC1
The International Institute of Visual Art (INIVA) commissioned Disinformation and Usurp to produce a film for the Liminal Exhibition.
Based on Disinformation's London Underground audio project initiated in 1997, a simultaneous visual landscape was filmed of the London Underground with Very Low Frequency electromagnetic recordings creating a dual screen presentation.
The Journey Travelled
18th June - 13th September 2008
The Islington Museum
245 St. John Street
London EC1V 4NB
New video works of animations, installations, and projections, which were developed through a series of intimate interviews, workshops, and collaborative film-making over four months with individual girls and women, and groups in Islington.
Poulomi Desai is showing new video works of animations, installations, and projections, which have been developed through a series of intimate interviews, workshops, and collaborative film-making over the last four months with individual women and groups in Islington.
Opening Event Tuesday 17th June 2008 6pm till 9pm
Commissioned by All Change Arts and I.R.I.S
For further information ring: 0207 689 4646
Hyperbolic Crotchet reef
Wednesday 11 June 2008 - Sunday 17 August 2008
The Hayward Project Space and Royal Festival Hall Level 2 Foyer
Usurp's Hyperbolic Crotchet reef structure, entirely created from recycled Indian and English plastic bags is part of the show at the Southbank
It's a really wild show!
This large-scale, constantly mutating series of handmade crochets replicate the forms of natural coral. The project, organised by the Los Angeles-based Institute For Figuring is a direct response to the plight of coral reef from pollution and global warming. Fusing science and mathematics with fine art and handicraft, the reef is constantly updated by an ever-expanding group of participants from around the world. The Crafts Council in partnership with Southbank Centre.
Red Threads - Platform for Arts
Usurp is proud to have organised an exhibition of digital portraits by local people in Harrow Middlesex which Platform for Arts made into 72 posters displayed at North Harrow Station. The portraits were produced in workshops devised by Poulomi Desai and took place at Harrows focal points for arts and culture: Fovea Gallery, Harrow Museum and Harrow Arts Centre.
The works were inspired by imagery from Poulomi Desai’s book and exhibition Red Threads, which explored personal and visual identity.
More information here
Priceless Exhibition
2 Mobile sound installations, 4 Film Soundtracks and 6 Compositions written in canon form, by Poulomi Desai
12 films directed by Dan Saul
Monday 7 – Sunday 27 August 2006
10am – 5pm Admission Free
Exhibitions and sound installations on Exhibition road at the Natural History Museum, Science Museum, Serpentine Gallery, V&A and The Royal Geographical Society
This is a motiroti commission directed by Ali Zaidi
More information here
"Light It"
October 2006
On a calm autumnal evening in 2006, Myatts Fields, a beautiful Victorian park in South London was transformed into a dynamic performance space to celebrate the start of winter, with multi-sensory performances by seven artists and thousands of local people.
Usurp created a 12 channel sound installation down a 200 metre avenue of trees filling the air with field recordings of animals that come to life at night - singing insects, chirping tree frogs, insistent birds and wailing wolves. Recordings were made over the last 15 years in Bermuda, Kutch - India, Palm Desert - USA, and London. The night culminated in South London's birds and dogs responding to the sounds of their relations with gusto!
Commissioned by Home Live Arts and Moti Roti for "Light It"
