New Utopias at the Hayward

The pieces are a reaction to the current transformation of the London skyline, which the Hayward describes as ‘undergoing the greatest change in its history’.

‘Currently, there are more than 230 buildings over 20 stories tall (as of March 2014) proposed, approved or under construction for London, according to a recent independent report by New London Architecture’, the gallery explains.

The artists in the show were asked to respond to the questions posed by this transformation, posting their responses to the gallery from around the world.

These questions include  ‘are glass boxes in the sky, the next great ‘concrete utopia? Could it be that what some see as arrogant modernism is merely being replaced by another badge of defiance? What does that ultimately mean for the landscape of our future cities?’

The pieces are created in a wide variety of media, including paper and video, with responses ranging from ‘a candy-shaped floating city above a haunting terrain’ to a digital skyscraper formed of printer-ink test pages and a house made from an abandoned military vehicle.

The artists in the show are Helen Carmel Benigson (London), Eloise Hawser (London), Yuichi Higashionna (Tokyo), Marguerite Humeau (London), Serena Korda (Los Angeles/London), Lorna Mills (Toronto), Ujino (Tokyo), Rory Pilgrim (Dakar/London), Yu-Chen Wang (London) and O Zhang (New York).

The House in the Sky: Artists Imagine New Utopias runs until 7 September at Concrete Café, Hayward Gallery, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX