It is already December, and guess what? First Thursdays is back with two fantastic options for this evening! Either follow our recommended Walking Route for a night of free events and late openings around the East End or, if you have a ticket (the event is now sold out), attend the Gallery Takeover: Polyphonic Bodies.
The first stop of the Walking Route of December is the Hackney Museum (open until 8:00 pm). A local history museum in the London Borough of Hackney where you will have the chance to explore rich, diverse and inspiring histories of the neighbourhood through a series of exciting exhibitions such as the current Movers, Shakers & Community Makers African heritage influencers in Hackney. The display explores how African heritage individuals have shaped Hackney to be the borough it is today. Using objects, photographs, and personal experiences from Hackney Museum’s collection, the exhibition shares the stories of people who have influenced local life through their actions.
The following stop is at Seventeen Gallery for the private view of a group exhibition titled In Winter, mute with works by Nina Davies, Lewis Teague Wright, Paul B. Davis and Isaac Lythgoe. The show explores the relationships and tensions between humanity and technology through mediums such as moving images, sculptures, photography, embroidery, and works containing AI-generated images, CGI videos and a 16-bit procedural animation on now obsolete computing hardware.
From here, the walking route heads to Autograph ADB for an exhibition by Sasha Huber exploring how colonial histories are imprinted into the landscape through naming and acts of remembrance – asking what actions it might take to repair the inherited traumas of history. YOU NAME IT brings together over a decade of Huber’s work, prompted by the campaign Demounting Louis Agassiz. Initiated in 2007 by Swiss historian and activist Hans Fässler, the campaign seeks to redress the legacy of the Swiss-born glaciologist and racist Louis Agassiz (1807–1873). The show will be open until 9 pm on this special Thursday evening, alongside exclusive offers on books and prints – plus a complimentary drink.
The last destination is the celebratory launch at Spiral Galleries in Shoreditch of Subject to Change* taking over the space from Thursday through the weekend until the 4th of December. The Book Launch and Art Show will be comprised of art, literature, music and good company. Throughout the night, you will have the opportunity to purchase a selection of works and books. There will be drinks, live music, and DJs to set the mood at the opening reception until 23:00.