Borough Yards artist’s takeover ‘more democratic’ than galleries

Artist Philip Colbert has said he is “obsessed” with presenting his work outside of official gallery spaces, expressing concern that buildings may feel welcoming only to a select few.

Colbert, who is bringing his free open-air art installation Lobster Yards to central London this month, told Arts Professional: “I’m obsessed with taking my art outside of museums and galleries because I think they can be quite a small, elitist bubble serving just a small number of people.

“I think art should be something for everyone. I like the idea of putting my work in a more democratic place.”

A Borough Yards takeover

Colbert’s installation is located in food market and shopping centre Borough Yards, close to London’s South Bank.

Launching on 22 August, the takeover is named for Colbert’s recurring motif of the cartoon lobster, and features a series of original sculptures, including the world premiere of Seated Lobster Inflatable.

Curated by cultural placemaking organisation New Public Projects, Lobster Yards is on display until 30 October, with Colbert saying the project matters deeply to him in a time when children in particular may engage less with their own “naturally artistic” streak.

“There’s been a challenge with getting the government to fully appreciate it,” Colbert said, of the importance of arts and creative subjects in schools. “I also think with the complete oversaturation of information today, people are just completely submerged. Kids are addicted to screens way too early, and I think it’s very important to make space for art and make space for thinking around art.”

Democratising art

In recent weeks, the National Gallery revealed it would look to more directly involve the public in the institution’s future decision-making with the creation of its Citizens’ Assembly.

The London-based organisation follows in the footsteps of similar initiatives by Birmingham Museums Trust and Nottingham’s New Art Exchange.

The National Gallery’s director of public engagement Jane Knowles told Arts Professional the team felt the “right way to be working” was to continue “opening ourselves up and understanding the different ways that people like to engage with us”.

For Colbert, taking over a public space remains one of the best ways to ensure equitable access to artistic engagement.

“I guess I’ve never really done something like this in Britain before, so the Borough Yards project is really exciting for me, to bring an artistic experience into a dense urban area.”

“There’s an accessible energy to it,” he added. “To be approached by a city’s lifestyle destination [to make this]; for me that’s almost more exciting than a museum, because it’s a destination which you know is the perfect place to put on an exhibition because you have such a high footfall and such a wide demographic.”

Doing so, Colbert suggested, “creates an experience for art that maybe catches people unaware or has a more democratic spirit.”