8 March 2010
Southern Housing Group teamed up with arts regeneration practice, TallTales, to turn the former Market Estate in Islington into a unique art project on Saturday 6 March.
The project marked the transformation of Market Estate, a 1960s-build estate which is being demolished to make way for Parkside Place, a regenerated community of high quality homes and local businesses.
More than 300 artists applied to take part in the project, with the chance to use the soon to be demolished flats, stairwells and communal spaces as blank canvases for their art-work. Residents were involved in selecting 75 finalists who each created new work for a grand one day exhibition.
The artists were challenged to work with the history and architecture of the North London estate, through a wide range of art mediums and styles. Pieces ranged from Jess Blandford and Joe Morris’s ‘Fluorescent Yellow Room’ to Mark Calderwald’s ‘I Remember – CoveredBy’ in dedication to late resident Jim Veal and Giulia Sala’s audio tour, guiding visitors through over 40 years of residents’ memories.
Southern Housing Group’s Reinvestment Director, Stephen Ross, said:
“Southern Housing Group was delighted to be involved in such an imaginative and ground-breaking project on our estate. The exhibition was a unique way to celebrate a new era of quality housing for our residents. Residents have played a part in the project from start to finish, so there is a real sense of ownership and achievement on the estate.
“We were pleased to be able to support artists in a project that enriches the immediate community – an amazing way to welcome in the estate’s new name, Parkside Place.”
TallTales Director and project co-curator, Gadi Sprukt, said:
“We are immensely grateful for the incredible support given to us by Southern Housing Group, who allowed us to take on a project of this scale and ambition. This was a truly unique opportunity for emerging talent to freely engage with an iconic site, and to create and showcase new work. We hope that this project will open the door for new possibilities and approaches in regeneration practice, and serve not just the artists, but also the residents and the local communities in and around North London.”
Resident and Group Board member, David Kelly, said:
"The Market Estate Tenants and Residents Association (METRA) always said that the regeneration of the estate was more than bricks and mortar, it was people's future homes and the community together. We were delighted to share our space and our heritage with these talented young artists."
The project was funded by Southern Housing Group, Higgins Construction and Arts Council England, with sponsorship from Philip Pank Architects and HTA Consultancy. For further information about Southern Housing Group visit www.shgroup.org.uk