Fieldwork as part of Louise Ashcroft’s unofficial artist residency at Westfield Shopping Centre in Stratford East London. Research shown at arebyte Gallery in Hackney Wick, August – September 2017.
This film and other works contributed to Louise’s solo show at arebyte Gallery in 2017, I’d Rather Be Shopping
Louise Ashcroft‘s practice is generated from actions and observations made in ordinary places like the supermarket, a stranger’s house, a LinkedIn profile, or the street. These contexts are used as material for social collages and subversions which reprogram prevailing cultural logic and suggest alternatives. For example, planning a life together with strangers while helping them with their housework (Why Don’t We Live Together?, 2016-17); repeatedly smuggling unfamiliar-looking African vegetables into supermarkets and trying to buy them (Vegetable, 2003-17); or working with communities in Exeter to redesign the entire Internet from scratch using whatever materials were to hand (Remaking the Internet, 2016).
Louise studied at The Royal College of Art and The Ruskin School of Art, Oxford. She is co-founder of the free art school AltMFA. She has exhibited widely including at Westminster Waste, The Koppel Project, The Government Art Collection, Exeter Phoenix, AVU Prague, Latitude Festival, Guest Projects, Turner Contemporary (Margate), ArtLicks Weekend, The Boring Conference and The Function Room. Louise was recently Family Artist in Residence at Camden Arts Centre and Tate Schools Artist in Residence. She is also a visiting lecturer at various universities including UCA Farnham and Goldsmiths.
