© Daniela Sbrisny, courtesy the artist
As the first ever Artist in Residence at Islington's Grade II-listed Victorian gothic Union Chapel, Sarah Strang has decided to turn the hallowed hallway into a place where the pressing issue of homelessness is considered in multi-layered light.
She's turned the tower – usually inaccessible to the public and unused – into an imagined bedchamber complete with blankets gathered from people in the surrounding streets who couldn't find a bed for a night, then centred a wrought iron bed beneath four vast quilts in a section of wooden rafters above.
Strang gave the rough sleepers new blankets in exchange for their temporary sheets, swaying the fabrics in place of church bells.
The Chapel itself is a centre for the homeless and those in crisis, but the idea is to merge voyeurism with solitude, symbolising the ways in which homelessness is both visible and hidden from society, remaining intimate yet disconnected.
Victorian-era materials have also been used, questioning the progress society has made during the past century.
Visitors can view the interior on a video screen (visits are available once a month for those eager to climb the tower) and Strang has further plans to engage with the values of the building and the community around it during her year-long stint.
This is one artist answering the call to respond to a building with guts and gusto.
- Union Chapel, Compton Avenue, London. Open Wednesday-Sunday 12pm-4pm. Admission free.
More pictures from Movement in Sleep:
© Daniela Sbrisny, courtesy the artist
© Daniela Sbrisny, courtesy the artist
© Daniela Sbrisny, courtesy the artist
