This week, I had the opportunity to visit Meta’s (formerly Facebook) glistening new offices in Kings Cross to tour their freshly commissioned “Open Art reveal”.
Commissioned by Meta Open Arts, work was unveiled from 22 artists. There are three large-scale installations by renowned artists. There is even art pieces with AR Instagram filters.
Featured artists showcasing at Meta Offices
The three featured artists are Yinka Ilori, Mary Evans and Kyung Hwa Shon. There are also 19 other artists with work around the offices in the building.
Yinka Ilori
A name I’m sure you know from his installation all over London this year.
Spanning nine stories in height, and taking three months to install, Yinka Ilori’s boldly colourful mural in Meta’s newest office is his largest commission to date. It is also Meta’s biggest scaling global commission.
Yinka, an interdisciplinary artist and designer, showcased his signature bright colors and clean graphics in a piece that represents industrial Kings Cross and its local ecosystem.
Kyung Hwa Shon
Kyung Hwa Shon’s wall art covers a reception and mezzanine with powerful graphic imagery. Inspired by her relationship with walking around different cities. Bold colour, lines and shapes intertwine together to visualise the endless rhythms present in urban landscapes, such as Kings Cross.
Mary Evans
Mary Evans is an artist well known for her thought provoking art. Inspired by research on the relationship between contemporary Britain and its imperial past in Africa. Her Meta commission is an immersive installation of brown wooden silhouettes. The silhouettes tell a complex story of black bodies across time, their resilience and ability to prevail despite challenges faced.
It’s so EXTRA…
Do not leave the building without checking out the new AR filters on two pieces of art work. Scan the code and see the art works come to life on your phone. It’s very very cool.
How to see the tour:
Tours of these commissions will be open to the public this weekend, as part of the Open House Festival. The Open House Festival is a two week programme of free events showcasing London’s housing, architecture and neighbourhoods. From multi-million pound homes in Wimbledon, to houseboats in Haggerston, there’s something for all types of nosy!
There are drop-in events, but some ticketed, so make sure to check out the Open House website to avoid missing out. Details below.
Another partnership for Meta Open Arts launches this Autumn with the London Design Festival (LDF), in which they will be co-curating a day of talks at the V&A. Details below.
Be sure to check them all out!
Helpful details:
META Tours can be booked here
Open House Weekend begins 10 September : Details here
London Design Festival begins 17 September : Details here
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