Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
MeIn 1986, an exhibition called Chambres d’Amis took modern art beyond the confines of museums and into 58 private homes in Ghent. Forty years on, a similar experiment is underway, but down a small street inside Peckhamsouth east of London.
Neighbors Rooms it is the brainchild of curator Ben Broome, who came across Chambres d’Amis when he was in the midst of institutional work. With time on his hands and a desire to get to know his neighbors better, he began to wonder how he could apply the idea to his community, but on a deeper level. Unlike the exhibition in Ghent, which mainly took place in the homes of friends of the art world and museum lovers, its own street – a mix of council and private houses and houses – represents a large number of people, with different age groups, social groups and immigrants. Few of the residents had the opportunity to interact with art, telling me: “Many people have never been to the Tate; they have never been there. South London Gallerywhich is a local organization. But that does not mean that some of the neighbors are not very talented.”
Early last year, Broome knocked on the doors of his neighbors to introduce himself, before offering them the idea over cups of tea. The 12 families who signed up were joined by a mix of well-known and influential people, each of whom had an interest in domestic space or what Broome refers to as “social activities”. Since then, domestic activities have been established in the homes, gardens and community spaces of the participants.
These works consist of a variety of media, from photography and sculpture to other conceptual and ephemeral forms. Along with the Raluca bathroom fragrance service, artist Rachel Crowther he built a portable speaker that played soft sounds at a frequency suitable for his pet cat. A few doors down, a 2023 Turner candidate Ghislaine Leungwhose work focuses on childcare and family life, has re-created his 2024 portrait of a young family, using bold colors to explore the UK’s childcare provision. They sit behind the cot in their child’s bedroom.
Meanwhile, Raheel Khanwho has previously worked on acoustics in places of worship, created music to be played on a standard stereo in Nigel’s adaptations. Inspired by William Blake’s childhood memories of Peckham Rye Park, it features music that twists and turns. A lamb (a choral piece based on Blake’s poem) with extra bass matched by Nigel’s subwoofer. “It was a fun project, because we were going to go very historical and critical about it, but really it was fun to drive and play this song and get to know him a little bit.” The record now takes center stage in Nigel’s UK garage playlist, and he continues to play it with the roof down. “It’s exciting to think that this project could become part of Peckham,” adds Khan.
The spirit of the community runs through many aspects, from creating ideas together to choosing a place to work, the ways in which residents have been involved and “carers at home”, says Broome. Multidisciplinary artist Olukemi Lijadu worked with Pamela, a retired worker who has lived on the street for 40 years, to select images from her family’s photo albums to photograph and transform into collages that connect the dots between their Caribbean heritage. “It was refreshing and real,” Lijadu says of the experience. “I think when you work to live in someone’s home, there’s a responsibility, but there’s also a close relationship because they’re going to be with them every day.” After months of working together, the two are still in touch and Pamela now sees Lijadu as family.
So, in many ways, Rooms of Neighbors is as much social work as exhibition. Many of the residents met for the first time, and now communicate regularly on the WhatsApp group. Pamela, who lives alone, said: “It’s like a new world has opened up to all of us.” It’s nice to know what’s going on down the road instead of just whining about it.
Most of these things do not last forever, living among the plants and materials of the inhabitants. An architectural design is Liam Gillickplaced in a private garden, it has been repurposed by the neighbours, who use it as a gathering place for BBQs and a place to store their garden furniture. Rirkrit TiravanijaThe ping-pong tables in front of the house are slowly falling into disrepair and are covered in graffiti tags, a phenomenon that the Broome artist welcomes. “I think it’s important that these kinds of projects happen, outside of art and in public spaces, because they connect with people in different ways,” says Broome, who believes that the work space is failing artists and the public in general due to lack of funding. “Bringing art to people’s doorsteps can be another catalyst.”
