Everything You Need To Know About Art Night 2018

Keep your diary clear between 6pm and 6am on Saturday 7 July 2018 for the third edition of Art Night, London’s largest free arts festival that this year heads over the river to present a multidisciplinary art programme along the Thames.

Even though London is one of the most expensive cities in the world, it can also be very economically-accessible, with a wide variety of art that can be experienced without parting with any cash, from public art to free exhibitions.
One such annual art event that embraces both the cultural diversity and rich history of London without costing the general public a penny to enjoy is Art Night. Presenting new commissions, performances and one-off artist projects by 12 internationally-renowned artists, this one-night only event most definitely needs to be on your summer to-do list.

Installation view of Tamara Henderson, Seasons End at The Mitchell Library, Glasgow International, 2016

Following the traditions and indeed successes of the previous editions – last year a number of iconic and unknown architectural spaces in London’s east end were enlivened through the art commissions – the free arts festival engages in London’s urban sprawl to explore the history, culture and architecture of a city that is for ever-changing.
To really delve into the city’s fabric and more specifically the pyhchogeography along the Thames, Art Night again partners with one of London’s top cultural institutions, this year it’s the recently reopened Hayward Gallery who are also celebrating their 50th anniversary.

Installation view of Prem Sahib and Jeffrey Hinton, UNPLUCT at Institute of Contemporary Arts

From the South Bank, through Vauxhall, along Nine Elms to Battersea Power Station, the 12 art interventions that consider either the idea of ‘home’ or the ‘urban landscape’ vary from Prem Sahib’s installation in a Vauxhall park and Marinella Senatore’s participatory performance to Anthea Hamilton’s augmented reality experience at Battersea Power Station and Jeremy Deller’s new musical collaboration.
The curatorial team led by Hayward Gallery director Ralph Rugoff were inspired by the gallery’s immediate local area and wanted the commissions to explore, ‘the emotional and political associations of “home”, including residency, refuge and security.’ Some of the commissions also reflect on London’s gardening history.
So what can you expect to encounter on this night-time art extravaganza? Let us guide you through some of the most exciting highlights from this year’s edition.

Projected on the exterior of the Hayward Gallery will be the Taiwanese artist’s video work, Dwelling (2014) that shows a living room exploding in slow motion.

Yuan Goang-Ming, Dwelling-Moment II, 2014

Halil Altindere at British Interplanetary Society

The Turkish artist will present Space Refugee (2016) that focusses on the first Syrian Cosmonaut, Muhammed Ahmed Faris who is now a refugee in Turkey.

Installation viewof Halil Altindere, Space Refugee, at n.b.k., Berlin, 2016

Liv Wynter at Garden Museum

A series of live performances by the artist and activist will activate the newly reopened Garden Museum. Using dance, poetry and rap, Wynter will broach themes including politics, labour and sexuality.

Vajiko Chachkhiani along the Art Night trail

The young Georgian artist who represented his country at last year’s Venice Biennale, will present his video installation, Life Track (2015) along the Art Night trail at an as yet undisclosed venue.

Installation view of Vajiko Chachkhiani, Living Dog Among Dead Lions at Venice Biennale, 2017

Cécile B. Evans at Spectrecom Studio

Staging the final episode of her ongoing installation and video work, Amos’ World, Evans invites Art Night visitors to partake in live taping at her fabricated TV set at Spectrecom Studio’s.

Cécile B. Evans, Amos World. Episode One, 2017

Tamara Henderson at New Covent Garden Flower Market

Henderson will present a botanically-inspired musical performance in the market that draws on the taxonomies of plants.

Miao Ying at Embassy Gardens Marketing Suite

The young Chinese artist will create a virtual reality project that invites the Art Night audience to a session of ‘lifestyle hypnotism’ in an environment that defies the laws of gravity.

Miao Ying, Content-Aware, The Five Pillars of Awareness: Reclaiming Ownership of Your Mind, Body and Future, 2016

Art Night will take place in various locations along the Thames from the South Bank to Nine Elms on Saturday July 7, 2018 from 6pm to 6am. Free.

Want to see more art in London? Here are the most exciting events happening in the capital this spring and summer.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.