Merge Art Festival Set To Ignite Bankside This Autumn

MERGE, London’s annual arts, music and performance festival is celebrating the contemporary culture and rich heritage of Bankside. It returns to London’s dynamic cultural and business district between 19 September and 21 October 2012.

For one month only this Autumn, the river walkway near Tate Modern, an air raid shelter, a tiny Welsh chapel, an historic building at Borough Market, Bankside Mix, as well as Bankside’s open spaces and workplaces will come alive when major names from the UK and international art world stage installations and musical performances alongside emerging artistic talent. MERGE is created by Better Bankside, making Bankside a place to work, live, visit, and do business, and leading Bankside-based arts events company, Illuminate Productions.

Key Highlights Include:

 BANKSIDE TRANSFORMED: Artists Fiona Banner, Heather and Ivan Morison, Jimmy Cauty, SheOne and Andy Harper celebrate the continuing regeneration of Bankside by converting hoardings and walls into public works of art. The Fiona Banner and Jimmy Cauty pieces will also link to other works they are doing for MERGE

 FIONA BANNER: One of the UK’s most highly regarded artists, in association with Viv Albertine, Steve Beresford, and a male voice choir, presents a new musical re-arrangement of the hit pop song, Snoopy v The Red Baron, sung in a tiny Welsh chapel, as part of an evening of live musical collaborations and performances. This is also the subject of the Fiona Banner hoarding artwork

 JIMMY CAUTY: Formerly of ambient house pioneers, The KLF, Jimmy Cauty’s new short film was shot at locations in Bankside and New York, and features a mystery international pop culture icon whose identity will be announced closer to screening dates. The film is also the subject of the Jimmy Cauty hoarding artwork

 SIX ROBOTS SKETCHING PORTRAITS: Patrick Tresset’s internationally-acclaimed artist robots will sketch volunteer sitters in a site-specific artist’s studio, with the portraits going on to form a developing exhibition throughout the show

 THEATRE IN AN AIR RAID SHELTER: The air-raid shelter, left largely intact since WW2 beneath the listed Hopton Gardens’ almhouses behind Tate Modern, will host a MERGE-commissioned immersive work by young theatre collective, Meet Alice

 NME: The Bankside-based music bible celebrates its sixtieth year with Behind NME Lines, a photography exhibition of its most iconic and controversial covers

 MUSIC BY THE RIVER: The outdoor Riverside Stage on the walkway by Millennium Bridge will host live bands in a series of gigs showcasing original song writing and musical talent every weekend throughout the festival Donald Hyslop, Chairman of Better Bankside and Head of Partnerships at Tate Galleries, says:

“We are delighted to present MERGE for a second year as Bankside offers such a unique cultural, business, residential and visitor experience.

“The festival highlights what can be achieved when businesses, artists and the community come together to celebrate what a special place Bankside is as a place to live, work and visit.”

MERGE is developed by Better Bankside and Illuminate Productions, and is supported by Bankside Mix, Land Securities, Tate Modern, Arts Council England, S+O Media, Borough Market, the Dennis Rosen Trust, and NEO Bankside.

FIONA BANNER Snoopy v The Red Baron, An Exquisite Corpse of Music

(MERGE Commission)

One of the UK’s most highly regarded artists, in association with Viv Albertine, Steve Beresford, and a male voice choir, presents a new musical re-arrangement of the hit pop song, Snoopy v The Red Baron, sung in a tiny Welsh chapel, as part of an evening of live musical collaborations and performances. ONE NIGHT ONLY

FIONA BANNER ‘ Snoopy v The Red Baron’, An Exquisite Corpse of Music Venue: The Borough Welsh Congregational Chapel Address: 90 Southwark Bridge Road, Borough, London SE1 0EX Date: 17 October 2012 Times: Doors open 1900, Performance from 1930 – 2130 Prices: FREE

Artists Fiona Banner, Heather and Ivan Morison, Jimmy Cauty, SheOne and Andy Harper celebrate the continuing regeneration of Bankside by converting hoardings and walls into public works of art commissioned by MERGE. Locations for the site-specific artworks include Stoney Street at Borough Market, Flat Iron Square, Southwark Street, and Sumner Street on the southern side of Tate Modern. The public will be invited to watch some of the painting performances accompanied by live music. Part of the MERGE festival, Bankside, London (19 September to 21 October 2012) www.mergefestival.co.uk

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