Bold Tendencies 2013 at Peckham Multi-Storey Car Park

Location doesn’t always matter much in art, but site-specific art has to fit in and respond to its surroundings, and so it’s a great advantage to start out with an atmospheric venue with stunning views. Part of the pleasure of visiting Bold Tendencies is the chance to walk through a practically deserted multi-storey car park, allowing the shadows and echoes to merge with the promise of art ahead. On the top two floors are sculptures and installations from a dozen artists, a programme of events, and all around are stunning views of The City of London  and the urban, industrial landscape of Peckham.

If you mistime your visit slightly and arrive too early for scheduled performances you have the different and rare opportunity of having the place practically to yourself, including the weird and other-worldly noises from Benedict Drew’s sound piece, Now That’s What I Call Feedback. The sound travels through the car park, around the corners, making it a delightfully disconcerting experience. The rooftop piece, I See You Liking Everything by Ruth Proctor is at once a visual and a sound piece, with the plaintive rustle of ticker tape whipped up by the wind as if through desolate trees. It’s a successful cross and clash between the disparate elements of kitsch and nature, the lines of glitter tape formed into giant specs like Dame Edna Everage’s washing line.

A highlight is Derek Jarman’s Garden for Peckham by K. Collins and Propagating Dan, an inventively beautiful recreation of the famous garden of artist Derek Jarman, which fuses stones, plants and industrial findings; it’s magical and inspiring.

It’s a gift for artists for their creations to be placed within so much space and a groovy post-industrial ambience. Curated by Joe Balfour, Bold Tendencies is an annual enterprise that has evolved since 2007, and is a model for the pop-up art movement, bringing critical discourse and international awareness.

We hear there is a great buzzy vibe in the evenings, when the bar is full and performances in full swing. Look out for dance, video, music and performance artists. Admission is free, but tickets can be booked online to guarantee a space. No matter when you visit, have your camera ready for the light effects coming from the artworks within the space, and for the impressive cityscape beyond.

Eleanor MacFarlane
Photos: Allie Suwanrumpha

Bold Tendencies 2013 is at Peckham Multi-Storey Car Park until 30^th September 2013. For further information visit the exhibition’s website here.