United Visual Artists at Printworks London

Matt Clark takes us inside the collective’s new installation, commissioned to mark the reopening of the iconic London venue.

Since United Visual Artists was founded in 2003 by British artist Matt Clark, the London-based collective has created large-scale, site-specific installations for institutions such as the Barbican, Manchester International Festival and 180 The Strand. UVA’s methodology, which combines cutting-edge technology, sculpture and performance, has led them to collaborate with a number of artists including Massive Attack, James Blake and documentary maker Adam Curtis.

Earlier this year, as the UK’s clubs prepared for a full return to events after more than a year of lockdown measures, UVA was commissioned by Broadwick Live, the company behind the iconic Printworks London venue, to create a site-specific installation to mark the reopening of the club. The audiovisual concept imagines Printworks London as a sentient being, reawakening after its long slumber, using lighting and visuals to create a work that evolves and tells a narrative across the course of each event at the venue.

In this film, commissioned by Fact and made possible thanks to United Visual Artists and Broadwick Live, Matt Clark reveals how the industrial architecture of Printworks London – once one of the largest newspaper printing factories in western Europe – and the country’s emergence from lockdown inspired him to create an installation that engages in a dialogue with audience feels as if conscious of its interior.

UVA’s installation is currently providing the backdrop for Printworks London’s AW21 season, which runs until the end of the year and includes parties featuring Jeff Mills, The Chemical Brothers, DJ Stingray, Eris Drew, Russell E.L. Butler, Daniel Avery, Mor Elian, Special Request and more. You can find more information and buy tickets from the Printworks London website.

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