Dancing About Architecture

50 Celebration Avenue, Stratford E20 1DB

Private View: Friday, 19th July, 6 – 9pm
Exhibition Dates: 20th July – 17th August 2024, Thursday – Sunday, 12 – 6pm
Kindly supported by Get Living in partnership with Hypha Studios

Dancing About Architecture is an exhibition designed to engage the audience in a physical confrontation with art objects in a way that isn’t simply ‘a show’, but more akin to walking down a back alley and stumbling across evidence of recent human activity – including elements of intrigue, delight, repulsion, fear and beauty.

The title refers to the oft-quoted maxim that “writing about music is like dancing about architecture”. The origin of the quip has never been verified but is often attributed to Frank Zappa, who despised music journalists writing about his music. But this show focuses on music critic Robert Christgau’s criticism of the phrase when he said “one of the many foolish things about the fools who compare writing about music to dancing about architecture is that dancing usually is about architecture. When bodies move in relation to a designed space, be it stage or ballroom or living room or gymnasium, they comment on that space whether they mean to or not.”

Dancing About Architecture brings together 27 artists whose work brings the physicality of the space into their work, and the physicality of their work into the space “whether they mean to or not”. Some protest, some lurk in a corner, some confront, while others may elicit ideals of what could have been. Dancing About Architecture demonstrates that nothing is ever in isolation, that everything is connected in some way, and everything will influence – or be influenced by – its environment.

Karolina Albricht
Karl Bielik
Scarlett Bowman
Benjamin Arthur Brown
Julie Campbell
Paul Cole
Katya Derksen

Lloyd Durling
Grant Foster
Phil Frankland
Luke Hannam
Mark Jackson
Lee Johnson
Peter Lamb

Emma Lilly
Enzo Marra
Scott McCracken
Rosie Mullan
Lisa Penny
Katie Pratt
Jon Ridge