Outside In. Creativity in Lockdown.

The Old Bank Vault presents the first physical exhibition of artwork created during and in response to the Covid-19 pandemic of 2020. Profits from the show will be donated to Neighbours in Poplar and East London Cares.

OUTSIDE IN – Curated by Sim Takhar, Adam Isfendiyar, Zulfqar Ali, and Maria-Domenica ArcuriThe Covid-19 pandemic paused our daily routines and affected every aspect of our lives and mental health. It exiled us from outside space, the city, culture and the arts, our families and friends, and the potential for travel and escape. Much was moved online, which created further problems of confinement and isolation inside our homes. In this difficult and unusual time, art in all its forms has become a coping mechanism for some and a necessity for others when responding to the crisis, creating beauty as an antidote, an antibody to the new rules, a virtual space to which to escape. More than ever before, technology and social media have played a pivotal role in overcoming distance and separation.

Outside In brings together new work created during lockdown from UK-resident artists that has been developed as a response to the constraints of the current global crisis. Through video installations, postcards, sculptures, and experiences, the exhibition is a journey through creativity. It moves from the cinematic ghastliness and haunting shadows of the almost-empty streets of central London in a suspended state of melancholy by film-maker Pietro Silvestri, to being invited to peer into the private, inside spaces of flats from the outside with Adam Isfendiyar’s portraits, via the approximations of 2-metre distances from artist Sam Walton. All these works highlight a feeling of isolation and connection through shared experiences.

As a way to document this unprecedented time, the exhibition will also create a new space where visitors can share their feelings and experiences of lockdown and become a part of the art, connecting strangers and creating a collective memory.

Taking over two sites, The Old Bank Vault and the Whitechapel Bell Foundry, Outside In features work by Adam Isfendiyar, Pietro Silvestri, Katja Koggelmann, Eva Clifford, Sam Walton, Doma Dovgialo, Pola Voitzik, Adam Ravzi, Vittoria Avigliano, Alens Vimba, Anna Wojnarowska & sabato.studio, Charles Ogilvie, Jo De Banzie, Josh Redman, Paula Chambers, Acrylicize

Opening reception is on Thursday 17th September from 6PM to 9 PM. Music is kindly provided by Olivia Ter-Berg and Leo Mugnai.

The show runs from SEptember 18th to October 4th. We're open Tuesday-Sunday from 10AM to 6PM