Explore the experiences of Londoners during the Second World War and the effect it had on the city they knew.
Private view for exhibition INTERNET CAFE, at Hypha Gallery 1 / No. 1 Poultry
Hypha Studios and Curator Juliet Wilson present INTERNET CAFE, a multidisciplinary 16-artist exhibition held at the iconic No.1 Poultry. Referred to by Time Out as ‘One of London’s Ugliest Buildings’, the landmark is also Grade II-listed in recognition of its striking architectural features by Sir James Stirling.
Spanning contemporary painting, drawing, sculpture and installation, INTERNET CAFE invites us to reflect upon how new media has accelerated the disappearance of social and cultural customs associated with hand-held technology. Looking back at the gadgets and gizmos of the new millennium, the work by selected artists dives deep into the current wave of ‘Y2K’ nostalgia and poses probing questions about our now digitally-centred epoch. The visual and conceptual narrative of the exhibition reveals themes of care, personal identity and agency, highlighting how shifts in technology play a crucial role in our relationship to self and others.
Landline telephones, The Yellow Pages, iPods, Furbies: this exhibition bids them all farewell with a big kiss and a soothing, back-rubbing hug. The playful post-modern building hosts a tribute to the novelties that have quietly slipped away — our Tamagochi’s last meal, or the Friday Night In that saw our final videotape rental. It holds dear the moments we didn’t realise marked the end.
