This Way Up

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Sam Hill

20th September 2011

On Saturday we opened This Way Up to the general public, an exhibition/ auction/ workshop/ arts book store/ hardware shop built for the British Council, who are celebrating the fifteenth year of their Architecture, Design and Fashion department (and the 89 exhibitions they’ve created so far).

The event, which’ll be open during London Design Festival until Sunday 25th September is based at 31 Pitfield Street, N1 6HB (just off Old Street, round the corner from the fire station).

Exhibition & Silent Auction

Some of the work on show is being donated to the Design Museum’s permanent collection, but the rest is available to buy on site through a silent auction facilitated by Unity. There’s work from Tom Dixon, Peter Kennard, Pearson Lloyd, Sebastian Bergne, Tord Boontje, Nigel Shafran, John Davies, Michael Marriott, Anthony Burrill and Basso and Brooke.

Pete Collard selected the items for auction and has curated the exhibition, interviewing designers and workers from previous shows to provide content for the associated publication.

Proceeds raised from the auction and the rest of the show will go toward the new Brazil Future Fellowships Fund for emerging designers.

Book Corner

We’ve got arts books, catalogues and themed reading material from various exhibitions. It’s a bit of a mixed bag, some kids books are going for two or three quid, but there’s also a Juergen Teller worth about £300 for sale too.

Hardware Shop

All the stuff that the BC have used for their exhibitions is being sold off cheap to make space. We’ve got projectors, monitors, touch screens, CCTV systems, lightbulbs, tape, creepy felt mannequins, etc. etc.

“Upcycling” Workshop

Upcyclists are taking the raw materials and bits and pieces from previous exhibition builds and making new things with them that are available to buy.

Come over and say hello if you’re in the area. Entry is free.