Art Night, one of the UK’s largest free arts festivals, took place across east London on Saturday 1 July, attracting over 75,000 visitors. For one night only, unusual spaces across London’s East End were transformed with art, performance and music by some of the world’s leading artists.
The free night-time arts festival was inspired by the international Nuit Blanche movement, first initiated in Paris in 2002. Art Night 2017 was a collaboration with Whitechapel Gallery, curated by Fatos Üstek and supported by international auction house Phillips.
Over 75,000 visitors across more than 70 sites. A digital audience of 225,000+ on the night through social media and live broadcasting in association with our sister company FADlive.London. 13 sites transformed by 11 internationally acclaimed artists in the Official Programme. Over 60 additional events in the Associate Programme.
The programme for Art Night 2017 drew inspiration from the East End’s rich history and the cosmopolitan and creative environments of today. Many of the festival’s commissions were site-specific works which responded directly to the area’s fascinating buildings and locations.
Highlights from Art Night 2017 included Melanie Manchot attracting hundreds of people to join in with a mass dance performance in Exchange Square, Jake and Dinos Chapman transforming a vacant warehouse at London Dock with eyeless mannequins and a new video piece, Ian Whittlesea inviting members of the public down into the Bascule Chamber of Tower Bridge to experience his guided meditation work, and Benedict Drew’s four-hour performance with experimental musicians at Whitechapel Gallery.
For the first time, cultural venues, galleries and local businesses were invited to join the Associate Programme, resulting in 60 additional events taking place throughout the night, making Art Night one of the largest free arts festivals in the UK.
www.artnight.london
FADlive.London
