Ahead of the opening of her first curatorial project Unreal Estates (an exhibition which responds to the current housing climate held in an actual Dalston estate agency), we spoke to artist and east London native Amanda Lwin about her favourite spots.
What’s your favourite London gallery?
I actually prefer it when art is brought out into the real world. It’s fun seeing people picnicking in the shade of Richard Woods’ Holiday Home at Frieze Sculpture Park, for example. This year the City of London’s annual Sculpture in the City programme has for the first time commissioned three new artworks (full disclosure: I made one of them). And a little further afield, William Benington Gallery has opened a sculpture garden at Fulmer where you experience artworks through a range of settings from dense woodland to manicured lawns.
Where do you go in the city to get inspired?
I grew up in Beckton in Newham so I’m kinda addicted to scrappy, post-industrial wastelands like Rainham Marshes at dusk. Also seeing parts of London that are usually private or out of bounds can be eye-opening. Open House Weekend is great for that.
Where’s your favourite place to eat in east London?
Dalston Curve Garden always has the best atmosphere. Sometimes they have a pizza oven but taking a picnic is just as good.
And in London generally?
You can take me out to Elliot’s in Borough Market any time.
Which artists should we be watching this year?
Héloïse Delègue and Hannah Bays are ones to watch and also appear in the exhibition I’m curating in September, Unreal Estates. This summer I met Chris Alton who takes on intriguing themes with levity and grace, and Jonathan Baldock was making eye-popping new work at his Camden Arts Centre residency earlier this year. At the other end of the spectrum, I’m really excited about the 24-hour screenings of Christian Marclay’s epic video installation The Clock at Tate Modern this autumn.
