Commissioned Artist: Kathrin Böhm
Curated by The Showroom in partnership with LACUNA
Launching on Tanner Lane on the corner of Praed Street, The Showroom presents Kathrin Böhm who asks: ‘Why do we care about art?’. Individual and collaborative responses to this question were explored through public poster-making and knowledge-sharing workshops at The Showroom. Through assimilating, compiling, distilling and responding to the taped posters, slogans and statements created by workshop contributors, the final banner, designed in collaboration with An Endless Supply, projects the chorus of voices involved in this collaborative process.
Kathrin Böhm, Why do we care about art?, 1350cm length x 620cm height x 400cm above ground, 2021.
Install view photograph by Oliver Dixon © Paddington Square
Contributors to these workshops include a wide range of groups based locally including the Church Street Maternity Champions, Imperial Health Trust, artists and arts organisations based in the Church Street Ward, The Mosaic Community Trust, Penfold Community Hub, construction workers involved in the building of Paddington Square site, The Showroom board, team and freelancers; the Working Group of the rotational public art commission; as well as a series of open, public drop-ins.
Designed by Kathrin Böhm in collaboration with graphic designers, An Endless Supply, this work, made by many, is indicative of The Showroom’s long-standing commitment to working with constituents and community groups in our local neighbourhood and beyond, whilst interconnecting with an evolving ecology of trans-local, trans-disciplinary networks.
"Art can be many different things to each of us and the workshops “who cares about art” with local interest groups at The Showroom, made this very clear. It was important to hold a space where different meanings, practices, understanding and expressions were possible and equal to each other. The one word and value we all care about is freedom: in art, through art and with art.” Kathrin Böhm
Kathrin Böhm, Artist
The installation is the first of three iterations of the Paddington Square x The Showroom billboard commission. This annual cycle has been commissioned by LACUNA on behalf of Great Western Developments Ltd as part of the wider Paddington Square Public Art Programme.
