Join Campervan Collective at the Carnival of Collabor-ART (May 23 - 26th) and transform the humble camping chair and table into a functional work of art.

Introduction

From the V&A’s extensive furniture collection to David Hockney’s many studies of chairs and the recent ‘Take a Seat’ group show by Bow Arts and ha.lf, furniture and functional objects have a long established history within the art world. 

Campervan Collective invites artists to consider the form and function of these everyday objects in relation to a more transient existence, whether it be pulling up at a campsite for the weekend, hauling your possessions into a festival field or dragging furniture onto the street for carnival.

How can we transform the humble camp chair and table into functional art objects? 

We invite artists and designers to source and upcycle camping equipment, breathing a new lease of life into these preloved items, elevating them to exhibition object as part of the Carnival of Collabor-ART.

These pieces will be used by guests during the festival and need to retain their functionality and comfort, whilst telling new stories or expressing alternate ideas.

The Event

Building on the success of previous events by the collective including 'Textile Time Machine' and 'After Judy', the Carnival will take place over spring bank holiday weekend in May with workshops, talks, activities and performances from a host of wonderful artists.

We want to create a participatory space that breaks down the barrier between art and viewer to foster a sense of play and participation, inviting audiences to take part in the art.

Your creations will be handled by guests, moved around, sat on and generally enjoyed as the fabulous yet functional art objects they are.

Submission

We are looking for submissions of camp chairs or tables turned into functional art objects.

This could include a variety of mediums, for example painting or embroidery. The objects will be exhibited and used by guests at our event in May.

You may submit a design for both a chair and a table, either one or both may be selected. Generally we are looking for more chairs than tables. 

Objects must be:

- Camp Chairs or Tables

- Functional (able to sit on or lean on etc.)

- Upcycled or made from preloved materials (find an old chair and make it new!)

- Imaginative artist interventions from a variety of mediums

Delivery

Objects must be delivered to The Loop, Hackney Wick (119 Wallis Rd London E9 5LN) on 22nd May between 12 and 8 pm or 23rd May 10 - 4 pm.

Objects must be collected on the 27th or 28th May between 10 am and 4 pm. 

Extended delivery hours can be organised on a case by case basis.

Artists who cannot collect within these dates must organise external collection to be agreed with the organiser.

All objects left after 6 pm on the 28th will be disposed of. Objects must be available for the full extent of the show. 

Artist Benefits

- A wall-mounted exhibition guide labelling and promoting the work at the Carnival

- Promotion on our social media channels and anywhere else the Carnival is advertised

- Free photographic documentation during the Carnival

- Potential to sell work during or after the Carnival (we will mark your work as FOR SALE and pass on any enquiries directly to the artist, taking no commission)

- A prize trophy awarded at the Private View for the Campervan Collective's favourite submissions, one for a table, one for a chair!

Other

The private view will be held on Friday, May 23rd, from 6 pm to 9pm. We would love to see you there!

If you want to tell a story on a tabletop or colour in a camping chair, then we’d love to hear from you!

Instagram: @campervan_collective

Links to Inspire

• https://www.myartbroker.com/artist-david-hockney/articles/david-hockney-love-of-chairs
• https://www.artnews.com/list/art-in-america/features/eight-artists-who-blur-the-line-between-furniture-and-sculpture-1234689721/ficus-interfaith/
• https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-artists-love-sit-work 
• https://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/furniture?srsltid=AfmBOorw5cUxqYDgJt3kQn7fszsJgJmN9y5n9WPlr_o8MuCzCE0hcjsG
• https://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/objects-of-desire-surrealism-and-design-1924-today
• https://www.glastofestfeed.com/features/editorials/bins-glastonbury-festival/