Introducing Elephant West, the new project space in White City created by Elephant Magazine. After launching in 2009, Elephant has developed into a multifaceted organisation, with a print magazine, an online platform and as of November 2018, a physical project space too. Across all online and offline spaces, Elephant explores life through art and preaches in their manifesto that ‘Elephant believes that art is the best way to think about how we live today’. This way of thinking about art as part of everyday life is reflected in the way the new space is utilised. Even calling this a project space, rather than a gallery, shows Elephant’s aim to move away from the traditional gallery stereotype and towards creating a more collaborative and engaging experience.
So why not pop yourself on the central line and discover Elephant West, located within a transformed petrol station next to the White City tube stop. Already hosting two main exhibitions, Elephant West has dived straight into displaying work by some of London’s exciting and emerging artists. Opening the space was Maisie Cousins’ solo show ‘Dipping Sauce’, where her striking photography looked at the relationship between food and memory. Moving onto the second project that took over Elephant west, the Elephant x Griffin Art Prize hosted the work of twelve shortlisted artists. This collaborative display showcased a diversity of art that engaged with global issues and Ramona Zoladek took home the prize for her works that explore the tensions between nature and urban construction.
What’s going on at Elephant West this month?Â
The latest project taking over the space is the Elephant x Anna Liber Lewis x Four Tet collaboration. From 18 January, ‘Muscle Memory’ looks at the relationship between the painter Anna Liber Lewis and the electronic musician Kieran Hebden, also known as Fout Tet. The connection between these two creatives grew out of childhood friendship and this experiential collaboration shows Liber Lewis’ expressive paintings and Hebden’s response to her work through his new tracks made especially for the show.
Elephant West also host a range of activities within the space to accompany their shows, including screenings, lectures and panel discussions. From a talk on the internal racialised politics of British Border Control to ‘Art Yoga’ classes held every Monday evening, Elephant West aims to create an engaging experience that pushes the boundaries of a regular art gallery. Alongside this project space is Fuel Bar & Café, yet Elephant claims that this is no ordinary coffee shop. By day the space becomes a social work environment and by night it transforms, hosting DJ nights amongst the art on display. Therefore, spaces like Elephant West are changing the art scene, allowing audiences to discover exciting artists and engage with their work in new ways.
Visit elephant.art/west to see their upcoming events and follow @_elephantwest on Instagram to keep an eye on what Elephant are getting up to in White City.
Photos courtesy of @_elephantwest Instagram.
