Students from Architecture BSc Unit 9 and Design for Performance & Interaction MArch are participating in a cross-programme collaboration as part of a major public performance art event on Saturday 26 July. Conceived by artist Jeremy Deller, The Triumph of Art has taken in cities across the four corners of the UK – Derry, Dundee, Llandudno and Plymouth – and will arrive in London this weekend as part of the National Gallery’s bicentenary celebrations, celebrating 200 years of its existence.

The Triumph of Art highlights festivals’ integral role in art, culture and civic life, and how art and artists can be catalysts of collaboration and joy. Saturday’s family-friendly event takes inspiration from folklore and rave history, combining built pavilions, installations, live music, performances, creative workshops and a tea party. It will kick off at 11:00 with a Bacchanalian procession, as revellers make their way from King Charles Street to Trafalgar Square.

Creating their pavilion gave the students valuable exposure to industry practices; they designed and fabricated their installation, ‘The Indigo Pavilion’, with support from the school’s B-made workshop, and funding from the National Gallery, and will participate in the performance on Saturday. As part of the brief, they presented at client reviews and managed project budgets, with supervision from their design tutors.

The Indigo Pavilion

‘The Indigo Pavilion’ investigates the contested histories of Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery through the story of indigo, the valuable blue dye that played a significant role in British colonial history.

‘The Indigo Pavilion’ acknowledges the difficult place of indigo in the history of colonialism while celebrating its craft, specifically Adire, Ajrak/Kalamkari, Katazome and Nayin (indigo block or stencil printing traditions from Nigeria, India, Japan and China respectively, as personally represented by the participating students). 

Displaying patterns interpreted from traditional motifs found in the different indigo crafts, the printed fabric is hung on gently a curved timber structure, enabling the fabric as procession device during the Whitehall parade, and then transforming into a shade structure on Trafalgar Square. The timber structure itself is hand crafted using a traditional steam bending technique, using locally sourced ash from fallen urban trees (London based timber supplier, Fallen & Felled).

Students assemble their installation outside the Here East campus

The Triumph of Art takes place between King Charles Street and Trafalgar Square in London this Saturday 26 July from 11:00–16:00. No booking is required for this free event.

More information

Images: Digital render (lead image) by Guanjia Li, Design for Performance & Interaction MArch
Photo of installation assembly by Jessica In