Wood Lane's New Pioneering Art Space to Open in November

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Elephant West is created within disused petrol station on Wood Lane

 

Elephant West, the new pioneering art and project space being created within a disused petrol station at 62 Wood Lane is opening this month.

Designed by architects Liddicoat and Goldhill, Elephant West is a new venture from Elephant Magazine - an online and print art publication - aims to become a new hub for the West London arts community.

The opening exhibition shows the work of young British photographer Maisie Cousins, entitled Dipping Food.

 

As the opening show for Elephant West, Maisie Cousins presents Dipping Sauce, consisting of a new series of large scale photographic works, in print and on lightboxes, and animations on screens. Maisie creates an immersive experience for the audience, surrounding them with hyper-saturated macro images of food and the aftermath of gluttony.

It is open from Tuesday till Sunday, from noon till 6pm until 2 December.

As well as celebrating the joy of eating, Maisie is interested in the strong connection between food and memory. Bringing in nostalgic references from the artist’s own culinary history, Dipping Sauce takes us on a romp through sumptuous landscapes of giant vegetables and oversized dumplings, lakes of soy sauce and oceans of gelatinous goop. Reminiscent of the end of a family meal, or a decadent evening spent feasting with friends, the images trigger a kaleidoscope of memories and references as we walk amongst them. Echoing the strangeness of a dream, Maisie’s world is familiar yet disturbing: plastic mermaids recline on a sweet-and-sour shoreline; a junkshop swan glides on a sauce puddle in a field of rice; tiny babies crawl amongst a pile of sticky noodles.

Also on this month are:

Sunday 25 November: Kiko Matthews, 1pm-3pm

Go West to See the Elephant - a strand of events running once a month on a Sunday; the title paraphrases a saying that was well-used during the time of the American Frontier and Gold Rush, which meant going out to seek your fortune, or to have an adventure. For this monthly series, interesting, adventurous people to come and speak about their experiences, in celebration of the spirit of human adventure.

Kiko Matthews, World Record Holder, Social Entrepreneur and Environmental Champion, will speak about her experience of crossing the Atlantic in a solo rowing vessel, overcoming Cushing’s Disease and living life with a sense of purpose.

Tuesday, 27 November, 2018, 8am -0am - Art Yoga

Join the Elephant on the mat! Every Tuesday from 8am to 9am, join an hour of peaceful stretching. Gandha, Elephant West art yoga teacher, will guide you through the Vinyasa dynamic movements and breath rhythm. Start your day as you mean to go on…. Namaste.

£8 per person (1hour class plus a coffee @Fuel) – Class open to all levels. Tickets can be bought here.

Thursday, 29 November, 2018, 6:30pm - 8:30pm, Petrol Station Series - Thelma and Louise

Sit down, relax and enjoy a movie with a twist…. In reference to the previous life of our new building, Elephant curates a selection of films that have iconic scenes set in petrol stations. Second appointment with the Elephant’s Petrol Station Classics: Thelma and Louise!

There will also be a small interactive element to the evening, to enhance your experience and immerse you in the story.

Each ticket £8 includes a specially created drink, served during the film. Tickets available here.

Robert Shore, Elephant Magazine’s creative director, explained that "Elephant’s tagline is ‘Life Through Art and, in keeping with that, the work produced at Elephant West will resonate with the concerns of the wider world rather than the narrower interests of the art world.

"Elephant West will turn ordinary life into cutting-edge art."

The space will combine print, digital and physical publications, using all three outlets to create dynamic, cutting-edge content across the Elephant platforms. Live dance and music performances, film screenings, and talks and workshops related to Elephant Magazine are all part of the stimulating programme, which shall emphasis the idea of collaboration, a key part of Elephant Magazine’s ethos.

The petrol station on the east side of Wood Lane has attracted attention since being transformed into an "immersive art piece' last year is now set to become a pioneering project space.

Designers Craig & Karl created the brightly coloured work within the disused station,  their first major public artwork in London, which they called 'Hereafter' suggesting a place to meet or something that is yet to come.

The project is being designed by architects Liddicoat & Goldhill, who say: "The project is for the temporary transformation of the former petrol station at White City in West London into an international-standard art project space with ancillary food and beverage area.

"The gallery is a physical manifestation of cutting edge art magazine, Elephant Magazine. The space will look to host high quality, contemporary, large scale installation for emerging artists."

You can see more illustrations on the company's website.

Elephant Magazine describe themselves as " the definitive guide to contemporary art and visual culture" and it's hoped that the project space will provide opportunities for local young artists to show their work.

 

November 24, 2018