Housework Beckenham

About

A neglected suburban family home, re-appropriated as an unconventional contemporary art space hosts an exhibition by a diverse group of female artists. During the process of preparing the exhibition space, amongst the detritus a toffee tin containing small watercolour sketches was discovered in the attic, and pages of an artist’s portfolio were unearthed when the brambles in the garden were hacked away revealing a workshop area. Though this process the narratives of the house become re-constructed as the artists’ occupation reveals the cycles and repetitions inherent to suburban living. When the curators came across the opportunity of using the house it had been left in limbo, waiting for its next inhabitants. The peculiar and sometimes intimate details left by the previous occupants hinted at its lost history and narrative, and demanded to be put to use again. Emerging and established artists both inhabit the space and engage with the peculiarities of the setting, exploring notions of the home, domesticity, consumption and deterioration. The show comprises over 20 works including sculpture, installation, painting and photography. Performative works will take place during the private view, with the housework Beckenham souvenir shop remaining open for the duration of the exhibition.