DAVID SPEED: EXHIBITION DESIGN & CURATION
FLOATING NEON ARTWORKS IN HOXTON
“We were asked to host, curate, design and build an exhibition for internationally renowned NEON STREET artist David Speed. We created a dramatic immersive collage of work that evolved as the viewer walked through the space”
David Speed is an internationally renowned East London-based Street artist who rose to grassroots fame during the pandemic. His uplifting neon pink portraits illuminated lock-down walks for Shoreditch residents. He has since earned a worldwide following, and his first gallery solo show in 2021 was a sell-out. Using the brightest pigments and the darkest blacks, the artist illuminates his subjects, signifying the discovery and evolution of identity.
His latest body of work, Faded, is a departure from his signature fully neon style. The work was to be released in his second solo show and needed to be presented in an impactful and immersive way that allowed viewers to experience the transition fully. We were asked to host, curate, design and build this show at JOY! Factory - home to JOY! Collective and a venue for creatives. JOY! Factory is based in two dramatic railway arches in the heart of Hoxton. Railway arches make for a great atmosphere, but the entirely curved surfaces, including an infinity wall at centre stage, pose their own challenges, especially when designing and hanging a gallery show. We wanted to embrace the unique space and its quirks and use this to elevate the artwork. We chose to move away from the traditional white wall exhibition in order to reflect David’s work in its most authentic form.
We started by building a 3D model of the venue and all of the featured artworks using 3D software. This allowed us to experiment with different hanging configurations while virtually walking through the exhibition. We designed a site-specific bespoke hanging system that suspended the work on wires to create a ‘floating’ artwork effect. Multiple canvases were hung against a huge black backdrop, reflecting the artist's iconic use of neon pink paint on jet-black backgrounds. Grouped and layered at varying heights and distances from the wall, we created a dramatic immersive collage of work that evolved as the viewer walked through the space. A comprehensive lighting plan was then designed to highlight each individual artwork, adding to the drama of the show and reinforcing the artist’s theme of illumination.