Kathrin Delhougne
Drinking tea with the taste of the Thames
After my arrival, I still had to stay in quarantine for ten days which I spent on research for my project without any disturbances. The studio had been renovated recently and I felt at home instantly. There was more than enough space for focused work.
Although the Delta variant was raging, people celebrated like crazy that England reached the finals of the European Football Championship.
I ventured out to go to the Wembley Stadium to take pictures of the beer-fueled exuberance. Pandemic? On pause.
The longer I was there, the more the city changed my rhythm. London is in motion 24/7. I rushed from A to B, enjoyed the hustle and bustle after the leaden lockdowns of the previous year. Just do not waste a single day – absorbing and taking in everything, in particular the art shows and concerts.
And urban nature: so many parks, dense vegetation along canals, overgrown cemeteries – the Magnificent Seven. Curious foxes, squawking ring-necked parakeets and friendly grey squirrels everywhere.
Elizabeth’s crown adorned the vaccination certificate that I got after the Covid jab. Thank you, NHS.
| 1. | My stay in one word: | |
| Ace. | ||
| 2. | Dos & don’ts in this place: | |
| Taking the bus, strolling along the canals, eating bagels. Rushing down the stairs in the studio (risk of tripping), pushing and shoving. |
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| 3. | Things I miss since I am no longer there: | |
| The city’s cosmopolitan and colorful atmosphere, tolerance, watching foxes, charity shops. | ||
| 4. | Where to shop great supplies: | |
| Poundland, Leyland. Development/prints: analoguefilms.co.uk, rapideye.uk.com. |
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| 5. | What you should definitely bring with you from home: | |
| Tenacity and patience to get from A to B. | ||
| 6. | Concerning art at this destination and where I visited the best exhibitions: | |
| The range is enormous and diverse. Most permanent collections of museums are free of charge. There are uncountable galleries in Soho. The same is true for the East End (also many off-spaces and art spaces). In addition, there are numerous festivals and art fairs. The Nunnery Gallery with exhibition space/artists’ studios located in the vicinity (5 minutes from the studio) is recommendable. |
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| Various cafes/pubs in and near Roman Road (e.g. Artisan Bakery, Cafe Zealand). | ||
| 8. | Where I like to spend the evening (dinner, drinks, best sound and networking opportunity): | |
| Oslo (pub/club directly at Hackney Central Station), Paper Dress Vintage (shop, bar and club all in one, Hackney Central), The Dublin Castle (pub/club, Camden), The Lexington (pub/club, Islington), Brixton Academy, Electric Ballroom, Dingwalls, Club 100… | ||
| 9. | What would have been useful to know before coming here and starting my residency: | |
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Website resident: kathrindelhougne.com