The New Décor & The Edges of the World

The Hayward Galleries summer blockbuster opened this week. The New Décor, ‘an international survey of contemporary artists who incorporate elements of furniture or interior design in their works’ took over the brutalist space on London’s Southbank.

Including pink mirrored room dividers by Tom Burr (above), plus work by Gelitin, Mona Hatoum, Jim Lambie, Sarah Lucas, Tatiana Trouvé and Franz West, the show seeks to dismantle the borders between interior decoration and art. Familiar forms of furniture and lighting are reinvented by the artist to reflect on social, historical and psychological issues.

We particularly liked Angela Bulloch’s ‘Smoke Spheres’ (below).

As well as the rollercoaster bed ‘La Montana Rusa’ by Los Carpinteros (below).

If that was not enough the Hayward has also treated us to a solo exhibition by Ernesto Neto - ‘The Edges of the World’. Taking over the entire top floor and balconies Ernesto Neto has filled the space with his organic forms to create an immersive and sensory set of installations. Inviting an interactive relationship to his art Neto asks his audience to wander through the architectural space, to relax on cushions, to even take a dip in his swimming pool (made specifically for the Hayward balcony). If we had known we would have brought our swimming trunks.

Both ‘The New Decor’ and ‘The Edges of the World’ are on at the Hayward Gallery until the 5th September. For more of a taster, check out a Quicktime film of the construction of Ernesto Neto’s balcony artworks below.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMe3tjj9Tmk&hl=en_GB&fs=1&w=480&h=295]