On the Edgware Road

The On the Edgware Road catalogue is published on the occasion of the Serpentine exhibition.

On the Edgware Road (6-28 March 2012), showcased recent and upcoming works commissioned by the Gallery's Edgware Road Project. Through a residency and research programme, the Edgware Road Project links local and international artists with people living and working in this London neighbourhood.

Since 2008, the Project has been based at the Centre For Possible Studies. Now inhabiting its third site in the Edgware Road area, the Centre has hosted more than 20 residencies and collaborations between artists and local constituents. It has also become a valuable resource for neighbourhood groups, who have initiated their own studies, events, screenings, workshops and discussions.

On the Edgware Road captures the Project at a moment in its history, presenting works by artists moving between London and cities such as Cairo and Beirut. Artists were selected based on their interest in engaging with specific urban contexts and geographies. Many of the resulting works have been made in collaboration with students, shop-keepers, local historians and recent migrants to the Edgware Road. Others have engaged in the history of the area through the assembly of archives, films and sound recordings. Projects in development were also presented, giving viewers insight into their working processes and ways of approaching the complexities of geographical enquiry. Together, the exhibition and accompanying catalogue map the development of the Project to date.