REPURPOSE Exhibition

REPURPOSE is a collaborative project between fashion designer Amber Kim and visual artist Alex Lewis, curated by Sonja Teszler. The multidisciplinary exhibition explored the aesthetic and political qualities of objects throughout their various lifespans within discourses around sustainability. The prominent concerns weaving together the art works are site-specificity, the concept of waste and recycling and the ambivalent nature of owner- and authorship. The exhibition is strongly engaged with the narrative of the Wells Projects and its ever shifting position on the spectrum of public/private, given its history of being former night club, repurposed as a squat, and in its current form a guardianship and non-profit space waiting to be developed. REPURPOSE featured the fashion design collection of Amber Kim. Kim’s collection, brought to wearable life out of waste materials she sourced from various UK festival sites, will be showcased in the form of an installation and experimental choreography featuring contemporary dancers. Setting this stage and providing a dynamic point of dialogue for the performance, was sculptural pieces and paintings by Alex Lewis. Lewis’ canvases with deconstructed brand logos bring together diverse references from sportswear, fast food and ancient pottery. Both artists are interested in challenging the need for opulent art objects and garments, using ostensibly low and recycled materials, responding to the times in which we are living. The Private View featured a contemporary dance performance showed how fashion can be portrayed differently and be represented sustainably and responsibly through bricolage and blending the old with the new, exploring the notion of the atemporal and its political relevance. This seeks to respond to news of climate change protestors planning to “shut down” London Fashion Week to raise awareness to the environmental damage caused by the fashion industry.