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Home > Art > Discover two art installations hidden in former Royal Mail depot

Discover two art installations hidden in former Royal Mail depot

By Caroline King - January 14, 2020Posted in : Art, Exhibition

This month, become Pac-Man or see yourself as a grain of rice with two free art installations, hidden in Nine Elms’ former Royal Mail Delivery Office.

Of All The People In All The World
Of All The People In All The World (c) Karen Stafford

The Mail Centre Takeover, Nine Elms will invite audiences to become Pac-Man or build Tetris walls, and make obscure global statistics tangible through rice, with a pairing of two free art installations. The event will take place in a disused Royal Mail depot, hidden behind the US Embassy.

Using several tonnes of rice, Of All The People In All The World by theatre company Stan’s Cafe makes otherwise obscure global statistics tangible, offering a grain of truth about our planet: every grain of rice represents someone, somewhere.

In acknowledgement of the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower sailing and in response to the venue’s proximity to the US Embassy, Stan’s Cafe will feature statistics that shed light on the relationship between the US and the UK, using 6.7 tonnes of rice to represent the combined populations of the two countries.

Stan’s Cafe is a contemporary theatre company based in Birmingham and famous for its playful experimental theatre, often performed in unusual locations.

Actual Reality Arcade
Actual Reality Arcade installation

The second of the installations, The Actual Reality Arcade, is a life-sized interactive zone inspired by ten classic arcade games, where you play for real. Dodge barrels and lasers, build Tetris walls, shoot aliens and become Pac-Man.

Designed by Matthew Harrison, the arcade has toured more than 60 festivals in the UK and abroad and offers physical fun for all ages.

Harrison is a multi-disciplinary artist, creating work that combines traditional hands-on techniques with modern technology. Over the past 15 years, he has worked with people of all ages in a variety of spaces, including prisons, museums, schools and festivals.

When: 15th – 26th January 2020
Where: Former Royal Mail Delivery Office, Malthouse Road, Off Ponton Road, Nine Elms, SW8 5DD
£: Free

More info: nineelmslondon.com

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