BLACKBOARD INSTALLATION VIEW EXHIBITED AT OCTOPAD ARTS 12/08/07 BY CHRISTINA MITRENTSE
Octopad Arts is an interesting arts venue designed for events, exhibitions, office and workshop space. It’s first gallery exhibition, Beyond the Sprawl, consisted of 11 different artists using various mediums from paints and pencils to photography and sculpture.
The eclectic nature of the exhibits, compliment the industrial contemporary style of the space. Set in a warehouse in South East London, by the Thames, clients are able to travel by river taxi to visit the gallery.
The space is unusually designed and offers triple height ceilings and various viewing platforms. Each artist is given their own space and the pieces occupy different rooms offering various environments and perspectives. Exhibits are hung from 20m scaffolding towers and platform beds as well as the more conventional use of walls.
Artists vary in backgrounds from Greek to Canadian with all currently living in London or the UK. Themes are varied with artists drawing inspiration from a range of influences including science, people and the environment.
Neema Rai and her brother Nithin designed the space to use as their own offices for the river service that they are in the process of establishing, Octoply. The exhibition is in line with Octoply’s ethos of using unconventional space as a platform for providing creative services. It’s river vessel, Sound, in addition to being used for events and charter will also be used to host exhibitions once it is finished. In addition Octoply is involved in research in to sustainable river transport.
The warehouse, aka Octopad, will be shared with other businesses’ and is also planned to be used as an arts studio where potential customers can see the artists at work to gain a better understanding of the art that they intend to purchase.
