Rankin and his agency of the same name RANKIN have curated a project for and with Wateraid – “The Best Seat in the House “ together with a pop-up exhibition to help lift the lid on the sanitation crisis around the world.
The Rankin Agency and WaterAid have launched a London FREE pop-up exhibition open over this weekend 4th-6th February 2022 at Southbank’s Oxo Gallery to celebrate the Best Seat in the House with Martin Parr, Harry Hill, Val Garland, Pam Hogg, Chila Burman, Carrie Reichardt, Ozwald Boateng, Dame Zandra Rhodes, Daisy Collingridge, Charlotte Colbert, Bambi, Pure Evil and Boy George being among 25 artists who have given the ‘Best Seat in the House’ a special splash of luxury, highlighting how toilets are a luxury denied to 1.7 billion people.
“It’s easy for us to take toilets for granted; we just assume everyone has one. But one in five people don’t have this basic human right – that’s an extraordinary figure. When travelling with work, I’ve seen first-hand how difficult it is for people to live without a toilet, and the impact it has on their health, education, dignity and safety.
“The toilet really is the ‘Best Seat in the House’, and that’s what we want to show through this campaign. Toilets can make us feel a little uncomfortable. Using the toilet seat as a canvas is an accessible and engaging way to put the spotlight on toilets and get people talking about them. The designs are fun but carry an important message – that everyone everywhere needs a decent toilet. And by supporting WaterAid, we can help get toilets into schools around the world so children can build a better future.”
Rankin
The artworks include a golden throne, punk art, seats decorated in beautiful fabric, and a lucky toilet seat. They are displayed as museum pieces, highlighting the inaccessibility of toilets to millions around the world. One in five people globally have no decent toilet at home, compromising their safety, dignity, and health, with 800 children dying every day from diarrhoeal diseases caused by dirty water and poor sanitation. A third of schools lack these vital facilities, so millions of girls stay at home during their period, holding them back from fulfilling their potential.
As part of WaterAid’s Thirst for Knowledge appeal this winter, the international charity is helping get toilets and clean water to communities in Nepal and many more around the world, helping prevent the spread of deadly diseases, improve education, and transform lives. The UK government will match public donations made by 15 February 2022 up to £2 million, making double the difference in schools and communities in Nepal, enabling girls to thrive.
Other artists who have contributed to the ‘Best Seat in the House’ campaign are Bambi, Carrie Reichardt, Charlotte Colbert, Chila Burman, Daisy Collingridge, George Morton-Clark, Gina Soden, Haseebah Ali, Jessica Albarn, Joe Sweeney, Laila Majid, Liaqat Rasul, Nettie Wakefield, Roo Dhissou, Seema Mattu and Soozy Lipsey.
Rankin x WaterAid The Best Seat in the House Pop Up Exhibition 4th – 6th February Oxo Gallery
To view the ‘Best Seat in the House’ collection online and donate, visit www.wateraid.org/uk/toilet-art.
WaterAid is working to make clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene normal for everyone, everywhere within a generation. The international not-for-profit organisation works in 28 countries to change the lives of the poorest and most marginalised people. Since 1981, WaterAid has reached 28 million people with clean water and nearly 29 million people with decent toilets. For more information, visit:wateraid.org
- 771 million people in the world – one in ten – do not have clean water close to home.
- 1.7 billion people in the world – more than one in five – do not have a decent toilet of their own.
- Around 290,000 children under five die every year from diarrhoeal diseases caused by poor water and sanitation. That’s more than 800 children a day, or one child every two minutes.
- Every £1 invested in water and toilets returns an average of £4 in increased productivity.
- Just £15 can provide one person with clean water.
