Somerset House

Roller skating is having a moment.  Instagram videos of roller skaters doing synchronised dances went viral over lockdown and inspired a new generation to get on four wheels. Somerset House Studios artist Tyreis Holder was one of them. She discovered skating during lockdown and in her words, it saved her life.  In this episode of the Process, Tyreis joins the dots between her art practice, poetry and her love of skating, tracing its history within the black community in London. She heads out to Hyde Park to talk to artist and coach Marilyn Fontaine, part of an older generation of black skaters in London who shares how skating has been transformative in her life and was integral to the development of underground music and fashion through the 80s. In a candid and personal conversation, Tyreis and Marilyn share how skating has helped them navigate intergenerational trauma and gain a sense of freedom, inspiring Tyreis to invite her own family to get on four wheels to begin a process of healing. Additional music in this episode is by Dialgo, D.A.H Trump and Siddhartha Corsus  - THE PROCESS A new Somerset House Podcast series  We're used to experiencing the work of an artist in its final form - in the gallery, on the stage, or mixed on an album. But what has been the journey to get there? Somerset House is home to a community of over 100 artists and makers. (And by extension,  it is often the home for the artistic process too), with much of the work we present being conceived and made in the building, from start to finish.  This podcast goes behind the scenes on that process with the artists themselves. Each episode explores one big idea emerging from a work in progress and follows the thread, from the artists' initial inspiration, through the cross section of thinkers who helped them get there, to hear the form it might take next.  Producer: Alannah Chance Series Presenter: Laurent John Exec Producer: Eleanor Scott Theme music is by Ka Baird Additional music by Harry Murdoch Mastered by: Nick Ryan Produced as part of the Creators-in-Residence Programme 2021 Supported by The Rothschild Foundation

Col Self grew up as a child playing on the sites of the new age traveller community in the 1990s. After the passing of the criminal justice bill and the crackdown on the travelling community that came with it, it started to become clear to her what a unique moment in British history she had lived through. Now, as a resident artist at Somerset House Studios, her practice continues to probe the boundaries of private and public space, searching for liminal domains which exist outside the grasp of late stage capitalism. But are there any common spaces left in the UK where we are truly outside of private ownership? Col sits down with writer and activist Nick Hayes to talk about the power of trespass, the last of the commons and why he thinks the river could be the ultimate liminal space. Additional music in this episode is by Pamela Z, the Spore collective, Frances Young and 011668 - The Process  A new Somerset House Podcast series  We're used to experiencing the work of an artist in its final form - in the gallery, on the stage, or mixed on an album. But what has been the journey to get there? Somerset House is home to a community of over 100 artists and makers. (And by extension,  it is often the home for the artistic process too), with much of the work we present being conceived and made in the building, from start to finish.  This podcast goes behind the scenes on that process with the artists themselves. Each episode explores one big idea emerging from a work in progress and follows the thread, from the artists' initial inspiration, through the cross section of thinkers who helped them get there, to hear the form it might take next.  Producer: Alannah Chance Series Presenter: Laurent John Exec Producer: Eleanor Scott Theme music: Ka Baird Additional Sound Design: Harry Murdoch Mastered by: Nick Ryan Produced as part of the Creators-in-Residence Programme 2021 Supported by The Rothschild Foundation

Somerset House Studios resident Anna Meredith is a composer who takes writing playful music seriously. But her process is anything but reckless.  Over the summer she set herself a challenge, to write a series of compositions for bumper cars which would be installed in the courtyard of Somerset House for Dodge.  Tunes would be triggered when the bumper cars bumped. But this posed some tricky questions. How can you control the structure of the composition when the audience is in the driving seat? Who is the composer here, Anna or the drivers? Anna sits down with her studio neighbour Nick Ryan, who has been working at the forefront of interactive music, to hear about where this genre might be headed before talking to games designer Nick Moran to hear how to organise fun.  Additional music in this episode is by Anna Meredith and Emahoy Tsegué-maryam Guèbrou. - The Process  A new Somerset House Podcast series  We're used to experiencing the work of an artist in its final form - in the gallery, on the stage, or mixed on an album. But what has been the journey to get there? Somerset House is home to a community of over 100 artists and makers. (And by extension,  it is often the home for the artistic process too), with much of the work we present being conceived and made in the building, from start to finish.  This podcast goes behind the scenes on that process with the artists themselves. Each episode explores one big idea emerging from a work in progress and follows the thread, from the artists' initial inspiration, through the cross section of thinkers who helped them get there, to hear the form it might take next.  Producer: Alannah Chance Series Presenter: Laurent John Exec Producer: Eleanor Scott Theme music: Ka Baird Additional Sound Design: Harry Murdoch Mastered by: Nick Ryan Produced as part of the Creators-in-Residence Programme 2021 Supported by The Rothschild Foundation

‘How do you imagine yourself as anything other than what you are told you are?'   Shiraz Bayjoo is a Mauritian artist living in London whose practice explores how language and identity in the Indian Ocean have been shaped by the legacy of European colonialism in the region. In a commission for We Are History, an exhibition at Somerset House, Shiraz explored different perspectives on the plantation system, and it's structures of extraction and subjugation.  The We Are History exhibition traced the complex interrelations between today's climate crisis and the legacies of colonialism. We joined Shiraz in his studio at the stage where he was putting the finishing touches to the installation, which brings together ceramics, textiles, sculpture and archive photos to re-dignify the people affected by the legacies of empire. He is joined by activist and theorist Françoise Verges, born in La Reunion, to discuss strategies of survival and resistance in the region. Additional music in this episode is by Alain Peters, Menwar and Roger George. We Are History is sponsored by Morgan Stanley - The Process  A new Somerset House Podcast series  We're used to experiencing the work of an artist in its final form - in the gallery, on the stage, or mixed on an album. But what has been the journey to get there? Somerset House is home to a community of over 100 artists and makers. (And by extension,  it is often the home for the artistic process too), with much of the work we present being conceived and made in the building, from start to finish.  This podcast goes behind the scenes on that process with the artists themselves. Each episode explores one big idea emerging from a work in progress and follows the thread, from the artists' initial inspiration, through the cross section of thinkers who helped them get there, to hear the form it might take next.  Producer: Alannah Chance Series Presenter: Laurent John Exec Producer: Eleanor Scott Theme music: Ka Baird Additional Sound Design: Harry Murdoch Mastered by: Nick Ryan Produced as part of the Creators-in-Residence Programme 2021 Supported by The Rothschild Foundation

What is Financial Astrology?  Somerset House Studios artist Gary Zhexi Zhang is interested in exploring the chimeric edges of global systems.  Recently his research has taken him into the world of finance, where he's been drawn to the sorts of speculative ways of thinking we might normally associate with the occult. Enter Financial Astrology, a way of forecasting the markets based on the positions of the cosmos.  In this episode of The Process, Gary goes down the rabbit hole to try to understand this area and why cryptocurrency in particular is so obsessed with the stars. He hears about some seismic events on the horizon from Christeen Skinner, a financial astrologist who has been working in the City of London for over 20 years and talks to social anthropologist and former equity fund manager, Philip Grant about how ideas of magic and finance overlap.  - The Process  A new Somerset House Podcast series  We're used to experiencing the work of an artist in its final form - in the gallery, on the stage, or mixed on an album. But what has been the journey to get there? Somerset House is home to a community of over 100 artists and makers. (And by extension,  it is often the home for the artistic process too), with much of the work we present being conceived and made in the building, from start to finish.  This podcast goes behind the scenes on that process with the artists themselves. Each episode explores one big idea emerging from a work in progress and follows the thread, from the artists' initial inspiration, through the cross section of thinkers who helped them get there, to hear the form it might take next.  Producer: Alannah Chance Series Presenter: Laurent John Exec Producer: Eleanor Scott Theme music: Ka Baird Additional Sound Design: Harry Murdoch Mastered by: Nick Ryan Produced as part of the Creators-in-Residence Programme 2021 Supported by The Rothschild Foundation

Breaking the Rules featuring Andy Holden & Mark McGowan ‘The power of performance lies in it not really being there' Andy Holden grew up with one foot in Bedford and one foot in Beano-town, the fictional town from the Beano full of semi-detached houses and fractious families.  As the curator of the exhibition Beano: The Art of Breaking the Rules at Somerset House, Andy became immersed in the comic's world of childlike anarchy and rebellion. Now, as he shakes off his cartoon limbs and returns to being fully human, he wonders what can he take from the spirit of the Beano into his next endeavour?  How can you keep bending the rules while avoiding being predictable? Is performance art the most effective way of inspiring change? Andy heads out to talk to  performance artist Mark McGowan, aka the artist taxi driver, about performance, politics and the power of persona, all from the back of a black cab. - The Process  A new Somerset House Podcast series  We're used to experiencing the work of an artist in its final form - in the gallery, on the stage, or mixed on an album. But what has been the journey to get there? Somerset House is home to a community of over 100 artists and makers. (And by extension,  it is often the home for the artistic process too), with much of the work we present being conceived and made in the building, from start to finish.  This podcast goes behind the scenes on that process with the artists themselves. Each episode explores one big idea emerging from a work in progress and follows the thread, from the artists' initial inspiration, through the cross section of thinkers who helped them get there, to hear the form it might take next.  Producer: Alannah Chance Series Presenter: Laurent John Exec Producer: Eleanor Scott Theme Music: Ka Baird Additional Music: Equiknoxx and Xylo-Ziko  Additional Sound Design: Harry Murdoch Mastered by: Nick Ryan Produced as part of the Creators-in-Residence Programme 2021 Supported by The Rothschild Foundation

A brand new six-part podcast series, The Process, takes listeners behind the scenes with some of today's most exciting creatives on their journey to create new works. Released weekly from 16 February 2022. We're used to experiencing the work of an artist in its final form - in the gallery, on the stage, or mixed on an album. But what has been the journey to get there? Somerset House is home to a community of over 70 artists and makers. (And by extension,  it is often the home for the artistic process too), with much of the work we present being conceived and made in the building, from start to finish.  This podcast goes behind the scenes on that process with the artists themselves. Each episode explores one big idea emerging from a work in progress and follows the thread, from the artists' initial inspiration, through the cross section of thinkers who helped them get there, to hear the form it might take next.  Curator Andy Holden and performance artist Mark McGowan talk politics and performance from the back of a taxi, artist and writer Gary Zhexi Zhang delves into the world of financial astrology, and La Réunion born activist Françoise Verges and Mauritian artist Shiraz Bayjoo discuss survival and resistance in relation to colonialism in the Indian Ocean region.  The Process is produced by Alannah Chance as part of the Creators in Residence Programme, supported by The Rothschild Foundation.  

Speaking to familiar faces, including Carol Morley, Jarvis Cocker, Nabihah Iqbal, Noel Fielding and Tim Burgess, the series reflects on how guest have instigated new activities online, open to all, to stay creative in lockdown. Created and hosted by award-winning artists and film makers Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard (https://auth-somerset.axis12.com/residents/iain-forsyth-jane-pollard) , this series is a joyful listen for anyone who has (re)discovered their creative side in lockdown.

In the final episode Iain and Jane talk to the stand-up comedian and radio broadcaster Robin Ince about the Stay at Home Festival and musician, producer and DJ Nabihah Iqbal about her time as Lockdown Herbalist in Pakistan, interrogating what it is that drives people to channel their creative energies and help us feel a little less isolated. We also welcome back Jarvis Cocker who may well send you off to sleep with his Bedtime Stories.    Exploring what we can learn from the people behind these ventures, Iain and Jane ask just what is that we gain from an online hang out or drop in. Credits Coping Mechanisms is a Somerset House podcast.  Created by Iain Forsyth & Jane Pollard  Produced by Eleanor Scott & Daniel Breuer Music by Bernholtz.   Thank you to all the artists who have contributed to the series.

Exploring whether we can really have a collective experience online, our hosts meet with Carol Morley and Tim Burgess. Catch up with the brilliant writer and director Carol Morley, whose films include Dreams of a Life and The Falling. Carol has been hosting “Friday Film Club” – each week she chooses a readily available, free-to-watch film. People then watch at the same time and meet up on Twitter to discuss it afterwards. Similarly, The Charlatans frontman, musician, writer, DJ and record label owner, Tim Burgess launched an extensive series of “Tim’s Twitter Listening Parties”, where fans could come together, with Tim and members of the band, to ask questions and share memories. Credits Coping Mechanisms is a Somerset House podcast Created by Iain Forsyth & Jane Pollard  Produced by Eleanor Scott & Daniel Breuer Music by Bernholz.   Thank you to all the artists who have contributed to the series

Why is it so many of us paint, draw or in some way turn to creativity in tough times? When we’re told to stay at home, and required to hold our family and friends literally at arm’s length why do we look to the arts to make things better?   The comedian Noel Fielding, well-known for his role as one half of The Mighty Boosh, is a comedian, writer, actor, artist, musician and now the presenter of a much-loved TV show about baking. Sue Tilley is an artist. She’s best known as the subject of Lucian Freud’s painting Benefits Supervisor Sleeping and her book written about her close friend Leigh Bowery: The Life and Times of an Icon.   Credits Coping Mechanisms is a Somerset House podcast Created by Iain Forsyth & Jane Pollard  Produced by Eleanor Scott & Daniel Breuer Music by Bernholtz.   Thank you to all the artists who have contributed to the series

How do we cope when our world is unexpectedly turned upside down?  When lockdown was imposed on the UK, almost all of Iain & Jane's projects came to a grinding halt. With unexpected time on their hands, they discussed starting an online project… but then, like many of us, did nothing else about it.     Fortunately, some did bother, and these online lockdown projects have helped many of us feel a little less isolated. For some, especially performers, it has been about finding ways to carry on regardless. With a new album and tour postponed because of the pandemic, Jarvis Cocker begun hosting a Domestic Disco on Instagram. Here, he discusses spinning records from his living room and inviting viewers to join him for a socially-distanced dance.    For others, the priority has been keeping platforms open and ensuring voices are still heard. Alain ‘Fusion’ Clapham is the founder of Black Man’s Time. At the start of lockdown he was about to launch a new live project, Black Love Stories, an immersive mix of spoken word, art, film and conversation. Determined to create something positive out of the moment, Black Love Stories was swiftly reassembled online, and now airs every Friday night on Instagram Live.    These illuminating and amusing conversations traverse the collective importance of such initiatives; and why we turn to the arts in time of crisis; as well as looking closer at the individuals behind these ventures and learning more about their creative drive.    Coping Mechanisms is a Somerset House podcast.  Created by Iain Forsyth & Jane Pollard  Produced by Eleanor Scott & Daniel Breuer Music by Bernholtz.   Thank you to all the artists who have contributed to the series.     

Slipping between the real and the imaginary. Filmmaker Liam Young uncovers the concept behind his film Renderlands, which portrays a global network of 24/7 workers generating popular Western culture from films to video games.   Artists explore the non-stop nature of modern life. Liam Young’s short fiction film Renderlands is set in the sphere of videogame companies and render farms in India highlighting a global network where outsourced workers operate 24/7. In Western design studios, wireframed structures are sketched out for imaginary cities and landscapes, which are then rendered by anonymous workforces in other countries into the high-precision digital architectures of video games and films. Renderlands is a utopia that exists in the screen alone – a virtual city that stretches from Los Angeles to Bangalore, constructed from the remnants of demolished landmarks, alien invasions, and outsourced dreams.   Featuring contributions from exhibition curator Sarah Cook and Jonathan Reekie, co-curator of 24/7 and Director of Somerset House.    The exhibition 24/7 - A Wake Up Call For Our Non-Stop World (https://www.somersethouse.org.uk/whats-on/247) at Somerset House takes visitors on a multi-sensory journey from the cold light of the moon to the fading warmth of sunset through five themed zones and contains over 50 multi-disciplinary works that will provoke and entertain. The exhibition runs at Somerset House until 23 February 2020.   Producer: Eleanor Scott Sound Design: Harry Murdoch Mixed by Nick Ryan Featuring excerpts from Renderlands by Liam Young. 

How did you sleep last night? Artists Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard (http://www.iainandjane.com/) , and writer Stuart Evers paint a possible future for our sleep and dreams in a 24/7 world. Artists explore the non-stop nature of modern life. Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard discuss their work Somnoproxy, a futuristic bedtime story with writer Stuart Evers, which features as part of the exhibition 24/7. This immersive audio installation centres on the fictional story of someone who sleeps on behalf of wealthy executives, too busy to sleep themselves. It’s a state-of-the-art sonic escape from reality, complete with a dream-machine designed by Brion Gysin, ‘viewed’ with the eyes closed. The pulsating light can produce Hypnagogia, the experience of the transitional state from wakefulness to sleep. ‘Sleep coincides with the metabolizing of what is ingested by day: drugs, alcohol, all the detritus from interfacing with illuminated screens; but also the flood of anxieties, fears, doubts, longings, imaginings of failure or the big score.’ — Jonathan Crary   Featuring contributions from exhibition curator Sarah Cook and Jonathan Reekie, co-curator of 24/7 and Director of Somerset House.  The exhibition 24/7 - A Wake Up Call For Our Non-Stop World (https://www.somersethouse.org.uk/whats-on/247) at Somerset House takes visitors on a multi-sensory journey from the cold light of the moon to the fading warmth of sunset through five themed zones and contains over 50 multi-disciplinary works that will provoke and entertain. The exhibition runs at Somerset House until 23 February 2020. Producer: Eleanor Scott Sound Design: Harry Murdoch Mixed by Nick Ryan Featuring excerpts from Somnoproxy, an audio installation by Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard. Story by Stuart Evers. Read by Enzo Cilenti and Kate Ashfield. Originally commissioned by Moog Sound Lab UK with support from the Adonyeva Foundation.

How many times have you looked at your phone today? Artist Mat Collishaw draws parallels between behavioural experiments on birds and the highly addictive nature of social media. And Artist Hasan Elahi explains how a false investigation led to a 15 years project, sharing his personal data and images with the FBI and public.  Artists explore the non-stop nature of modern life. Mat Collishaw (https://matcollishaw.com/) ’s work The Machine Zone was inspired by the behavioural experiments of American psychologist B.F. Skinner (1904 – 1990) whose work is widely referenced in relation to the algorithms which drive interactions on social media. Using birds and other small mammals, Skinner’s ‘operant conditioning chamber’ investigated the subconscious primal side of the brain involved in motivated behaviours. He demonstrated that random rewards create a constant uncertainty that encourages a behavioural loop. Collishaw worked with animatronics designer Adam Keenan to create these mechanised pigeons exhibiting obsessive repetitive behaviour.  Skinner’s ghost has persisted into the modern day, a quiet spectre among our statuses, likes, comments, and shares. Today an average user spends 1/7th of their waking lives on social platforms, and we owe some of this apparent addiction to Skinner’s research. His work followed on from philosopher Jeremy Bentham’s research into human motivation (‘the utilitarian self’ as pleasure seeking and pain avoiding) as demonstrated in Bentham’s ‘Table of the Springs of Action’.  Over the last fifteen years Hasan Elahi (http://elahi.gmu.edu/) has generated online systems to share personal data and photographic evidence of his whereabouts at all times with the FBI, as a result of their mistakenly putting him on a no-fly list after the events of 9–11. In his work, Scorpion W2, 2019 he mines this ongoing personal database to create large immersive collages picturing all the meals he’s eaten, beds he’s slept in and airports he’s flown to. The overall pattern is the current operational camouflage pattern of the American military – standardized across all divisions, units and countries in 2019 – but Elahi has changed the colours to those that feature in the test pattern shown during a U.S. television emergency broadcast. Featuring contributions from exhibition curator Sarah Cook and Jonathan Reekie, co-curator of 24/7 and Director of Somerset House.  The exhibition 24/7 - A Wake Up Call For Our Non-Stop World (https://www.somersethouse.org.uk/whats-on/247) at Somerset House takes visitors on a multi-sensory journey from the cold light of the moon to the fading warmth of sunset through five themed zones and contains over 50 multi-disciplinary works that will provoke and entertain. The exhibition runs at Somerset House until 23 February 2020. Producer: Eleanor Scott Sound Design: Harry Murdoch Mixed by Nick Ryan

Refresh, reflect, reset... Artist Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg invites you to sit and listen to the dawn chorus, questioning how the city may sound without birds. Through the power of humming Melissa Mongiat, co-founder of Daily Tous Les Jours, highlights a metaphysical connection through music.  Light and sound pollution from our 24-hour urban lifestyle affects birds, which are singing earlier, louder, for longer, or at a higher pitch to communicate. Some species are better at adapting to survive. Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg (https://www.somersethouse.org.uk/residents/alexandra-daisy-ginsberg) ’s installation in 24/7, Machine Auguries questions how the city might sound with changing, homogenising, or diminishing bird populations. Solos of chiffchaffs, great tits, redstarts, robins, thrushes, and entire dawn choruses were used to ‘train’ two neural networks – a Generative Adversarial Network, or GAN – pitted against each other to sing. Reflecting how birds develop their song from each other, a call and response spatialises the evolution of a new language, as samples of each stage (or epoch) in the GAN’s training reveals the artificial birds’ increasing realism.  Melissa Mongiat, co-founder of Daily Tous Les Jours (https://www.dailytouslesjours.com/fr/projets) presents I Heard There Was a Secret Chord, a participatory humming channel that reveals an invisible connection uniting those people around the world listening to Leonard Cohen’s song Hallelujah. Real time user data representing the number of these listeners is transformed into a virtual choir – each online listener represented by a humming voice in the space. These sounds are transformed into low frequency vibrations as you start humming along, allowing you to feel a collective resonance. The work is both a scientific and a spiritual experiment, highlighting the metaphysical connection between people on a common wavelength.  Featuring contributions from exhibition curator Sarah Cook and Jonathan Reekie, co-curator of 24/7 and Director of Somerset House.  The exhibition 24/7 - A Wake Up Call For Our Non-Stop World (https://www.somersethouse.org.uk/whats-on/247) at Somerset House takes visitors on a multi-sensory journey from the cold light of the moon to the fading warmth of sunset through five themed zones and contains over 50 multi-disciplinary works that will provoke and entertain. The exhibition runs at Somerset House until 23 February 2020 Producer: Eleanor Scott Sound Design: Harry Murdoch Mixed by Nick Ryan Machine Auguries Credits Multi-channel sound installation  Machine Learning: Dr Przemek Witaszczyk (Faculty) / Sound design: Chris Timpson (Aurelia Soundworks) / Research/Design: Dr Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg, Johanna Just, Ness Lafoy, Ana Maria Nicolaescu / Lighting design: Lucy Carter / Associate to Lucy Carter: Sean Gleason / Production: Angharad Cooper / AV: KSO  With thanks to Chris Watson, Geoff Sample, The British Library, Sara Keen, Xeno-canto, Professor Ben Sheldon, Maria Diaz and Dr John Mansir of Faculty and Karishma Rafferty  Courtesy of the artist  Commissioned by Somerset House and A/D/O by MINI. With additional support from Faculty and the Adonyeva Foundation

Artist Benjamin Grosser explores the notion of ‘more’ in a 24/7 world. The 24/7 podcast invites artists to explore the non-stop nature of modern life.  Extracted from every video appearance Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg made between 2004 and 2018, Benjamin Grosser (https://bengrosser.com) edited together the relative measures that crop up regularly in Zuckerberg’s speeches and interviews: ‘more’, ‘grow’, ‘50%’, ‘a million’, repeated ad nauseum. Grosser’s projects aim to draw attention to Facebook’s accumulative mindset, revealing the inherent design of social media platforms which keep you addicted through showing you how many likes, interactions, and comments you have. As with Instagram, Facebook is also now considering hiding the ‘like count’ as research has shown it creates anxiety in users if their friends’ posts get more likes than their own. Featuring contributions from exhibition curator Sarah Cook and Jonathan Reekie, co-curator of 24/7 and Director of Somerset House.  The exhibition 24/7 - A Wake Up Call For Our Non-Stop World (https://www.somersethouse.org.uk/whats-on/247) at Somerset House takes visitors on a multi-sensory journey from the cold light of the moon to the fading warmth of sunset through five themed zones and contains over 50 multi-disciplinary works that will provoke and entertain.  With every moment seemingly an opportunity to connect and work, unrelenting pressure to produce and consume, sleep itself monitored and commodified, how we cope is one of the most urgent contemporary issues affecting us all. Inspired by Jonathan Crary’s book of the same name, 24/7 holds up a mirror to our always-on culture and invites you to step outside of your day-to-day routine to engage, reflect and reset. The exhibition runs at Somerset House until 23 February 2020 Producer: Eleanor Scott Sound Design: Harry Murdoch Mixed by Nick Ryan

Calling planet earth! Artist Yinka Shonibare CBE, acclaimed saxophonist Shabaka Hutchings, fashion designer Mowalola Ogunlesi, and Get Up, Stand Up Now curator Zak Ové explore themes around Black futures and afro-futurism. Presented by spoken word artist Joshua Idehen. Music by Shabaka Hutchings and GAIKA, excerpts from Sun Ra Arkestra BBC Radio 3 session courtesy of Somethin' Else and BBC Radio 3. Producer: Mae-Li Evans The series was produced by Reduced Listening and Somerset House Yinka Shonibare CBE Yinka Shonibare’s work explores issues of race and class through painting, sculpture, photography and film. Having described himself as a ‘post-colonial’ hybrid, Shonibare questions the meaning of cultural and national definitions. His trademark material is the brightly coloured ‘African’ batik fabric he buys at Brixton Market. The fabric was inspired by Indonesian design, mass-produced by the Dutch and eventually sold in British colonies in West Africa. In the 1960s, the material became a new sign of African identity and independence. Shabaka Hutchings constantly evaluates his music’s relationship to Caribbean and jazz traditions, and sees his role as pushing the boundaries of both. His trajectory started early when he moved to Barbados at the age of six, began studying classical clarinet aged nine, and graduated to tenor saxophone, which has been a regular part of his performances since his return to the UK aged 16. Hutchings has three primary projects – Shabaka and the Ancestors, Sons of Kemet and The Comet is Coming. Between them, Hutchings has gathered a substantial number of awards and nominations, including winning the 2013 MOBO Jazz Act of the Year. Mowalola Ogunlesi founded the menswear brand Mowalola in 2017 to celebrate the African male and culture, sexuality and desire. He was awarded Best New Designer at the 2018 Milan Fashion Film Festival. Mowalola had its London Fashion Week debut in January 2019 with Fashion East and their work has been featured in publications such as Vogue UK, Vogue US, i-D, Dazed & Confused, Surface Magazine, SHOWstudio and W Magazine. GET UP, STAND UP NOW GENERATIONS OF BLACK CREATIVE PIONEERS 12 Jun – 15 Sep 2019 A major new exhibition celebrating the past 50 years of Black creativity in Britain and beyond. Beginning with the radical Black filmmaker Horace Ové and his dynamic circle of Windrush generation creative peers and extending to today’s brilliant young Black talent globally, a group of around 100 interdisciplinary artists will showcase work together for the first time, exploring Black experience and influence, from the post-war era to the present day. https://www.somersethouse.org.uk/whats-on/get-up-stand-up-now

#4 Imaginary Landscapes What is the place of Black diasporic art in Britain today? How do artists use imaginary landscapes to look to the future, break ground and envisage a world beyond? Can you imagine this alternative future? Artist Barby Asante in conversation with curator Paul Goodwin; artist, activist and collector of diasporic art CCH Pounder, alongside Get Up, Stand Up Now curator Zak Ové reflect, 50 years on from Baldwin’s Nigger (Horace Ové, 1969) in which African-American writer James Baldwin discussed Black experience and identity in Britain and America. Presented by spoken word artist Joshua Idehen with music by GAIKA. Featuring excerpts from Baldwin's Nigger, 1969 by Horace Ové, and an extract reading from Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God. Producer: Femi Oriogun-Williams The series was produced by Reduced Listening and Somerset House Barby Asante Barby Asante is an artist, curator and researcher. Her work is concerned with the politics of place and the histories and legacies of colonialism, producing projects that are collaborative and performative to stimulate dialogue on what is unheard or missing from cultural archives. Through creating social rituals and re-enactments she interrogates dominant narratives to think about migration, safe spaces in hostile cities and the overlooked everyday contributions of people of colour to our social, political and cultural understandings. Paul Goodwin Working as a curator at Tate Britain from 2008 to 2012 Goodwin directed the pioneering Cross Cultural Programme that explored questions of migration and globalisation in contemporary British art through a programme of international conferences, workshops, talks and live art events. His curatorial projects include a number of internationally significant exhibitions including: Migrations: Journeys Into British Art, Tate Britain 2012; Thin Black Line(s), Tate Britain, 2011; Coming Ashore, 2011, Berardo Collection Museum in Lisbon, Portugal; Afro Modern: Journeys Through the Black Atlantic (consultant curator), Tate Liverpool, 2010; Underconstruction, Hospital Julius De Matos, Lisbon, Portugal, 2009. In 2013 he curated Charlie Phillips: The Urban Eye at New Art Exchange, Nottingham which was long-listed for the Deutsche Börse Photography Prize 2014. CCH Pounder CCH Pounder’s diasporic collection includes approximately 500 works of art. It aims to capture the temperament of the times through which she has lived. With a career spanning over 40 years, the actress was first celebrated for her strong female roles in television shows such as ER, The Shield and Sons of Anarchy, as well as films including Avatar, Orphan and Baghdad Café. Pounder opened an art gallery in Los Angeles, the Pounder-Kone Art Space and founded with her late husband Boubacar Kone the Musée Boribana, the first privately owned contemporary art museum in Dakar, Senegal. It featured works by local artists and pieces from the African diaspora including the United States, Jamaica, Guadeloupe and Haiti. GET UP, STAND UP NOW GENERATIONS OF BLACK CREATIVE PIONEERS 12 Jun – 15 Sep 2019 A major new exhibition celebrating the past 50 years of Black creativity in Britain and beyond. Beginning with the radical Black filmmaker Horace Ové and his dynamic circle of Windrush generation creative peers and extending to today’s brilliant young Black talent globally, a group of around 100 interdisciplinary artists will showcase work together for the first time, exploring Black experience and influence, from the post-war era to the present day. https://www.somersethouse.org.uk/whats-on/get-up-stand-up-now

#3 Masquerade Artists Zoe Bedeaux and Rhea Storr, writer Margaret Busby and Get Up, Stand Up Now curator Zak Ové explore the concept of masquerade in Black diasporic creativity, reflecting upon the history of Trinidad carnival documented in Horace Ové’s 1973 documentary, King Carnival. Music by Gaika. Excerpts from A Protest, A Celebration, A Mixed Message by Rhea Storr. Zoe Bedeaux Multi-disciplinary artist Zoe Bedeaux studied art and design at Harrow School of Art before working as a styling assistant to famous punk designer Judy Blame. Her work encompasses style curation, art direction, writing, photography, print-making, poetry, audio readings and cultural commentary. She has been featured as model, muse and contributing editor in publications and various online platforms such as Nowness, Another, SHOWstudio, The Face, i-D, Self-Service, 032C, Vogue and Vestoj. Rhea Storr Rhea Storr’s practice is concerned with producing images which refute stereotypes of Black identity. Working on 16mm film, but also making peripheral drawings, photographs and scores, she questions how a body performs and how other bodies react to it. Of Bahamian and English heritage, her interests centre around the inherent tensions in being between two cultures where oversimplified statements about racial identity have no meaning. Carnival is often the subject of her work, and her approach affirms Caribbean culture while subverting traditional power structures.  Margaret Busby OBE, Hon. FRSL was born in Ghana and educated in the UK. Graduating from London University, she became Britain’s youngest and first Black woman publisher when she co-founded Allison & Busby in 1967, where she was editorial director for 20 years. Subsequently pursuing a career as editor, broadcaster and critic, she has contributed to many publications, written drama for radio and the stage, served as a judge for prestigious literary competitions, and campaigned for diversity in publishing since the 1980s. She compiled the ground-breaking international anthology Daughters of Africa (1992), and 2019’s follow-up, New Daughters of Africa (Myriad).  Zak Ové Zak Ové shared his father’s passion for film and photography as he assisted him on film sets from a young age and eventually studied film at St. Martins School of Art. Influenced by Trinidad’s steel pan, Zak became an accomplished percussionist; music and art remained the backbone of his work when he moved to New York, as a music video director, shooting classic videos of that time. Extending his work into advertising, Zak directed a range of campaigns and worked with Lee Scratch Perry, whose freedom of creativity left its mark on Zak. Ultimately disillusioned with the commercial world, Zak returned to Trinidad to document Carnival and its old-time masquerade, which subsequently inspired him to create sculptural artworks. Producers: Chris Elcombe, Eleanor Scott and Joby Waldman The series was produced by Reduced Listening and Somerset House GET UP, STAND UP NOW GENERATIONS OF BLACK CREATIVE PIONEERS 12 Jun – 15 Sep 2019 A major new exhibition celebrating the past 50 years of Black creativity in Britain and beyond. Beginning with the radical Black filmmaker Horace Ové and his dynamic circle of Windrush generation creative peers and extending to today’s brilliant young Black talent globally, a group of around 100 interdisciplinary artists will showcase work together for the first time, exploring Black experience and influence, from the post-war era to the present day. https://www.somersethouse.org.uk/whats-on/get-up-stand-up-now

#2 Dream to Change the World How do we imagine a better future? How do we imagine equality and how do we get there? Horace Ové CBE is internationally renowned as one of the leading Black independent filmmakers to emerge in Britain since the post-war period. His 1976 film Pressure is cited in the Guinness Book of Records as the first feature-length film made by a Black British director. Get Up, Stand Up Now curator Zak Ové and Gaylene Gould, British Film Institute (Head of Cinema & Events) are in conversation exploring Pressure, its production and legacy. Artist Sonia Boyce OBE RA discusses her work as an artist and activist starting in the 1980’s with the Black Arts Movement. Spoken word artist Joshua Idehen creatively responds to the themes of activism, change and hope. Zak Ové Zak Ové shared his father’s passion for film and photography as he assisted him on films sets from a young age and eventually studied Film at St. Martins School of Art, London. Influenced by Trinidad’s steel pan, Zak became an accomplished percussionist; music and art remained the backbone of his work when he moved to New York, as a Music Video Director, shooting classic videos of that time. Extending his work into advertising Zak directed a range of campaigns and worked with Lee Scratch Perry, whose freedom of creativity left its mark on Zak. Ultimately disillusioned with the commercial world Zak returned to Trinidad to document Carnival and its old-time masquerade which subsequently inspired him to create sculptural artworks. Today Zak’s multi-disciplinary practice focuses on sculpture but still includes film and photography. His work is informed in part through the history and lore carried through the African diaspora to the Caribbean, Britain and beyond, with particular focus on the traditions of masking and masquerade. His artworks explore interplay between old world mythology and what he posits as ‘potential futures’. Using modern materials, and ‘a sound clash of colour’, he blurs the edges between reality and possibility, flesh and spirit.  Sonia Boyce OBE RA  Sonia Boyce OBE RA is a British African-Caribbean artist who gained prominence with Black Women Artists, as part of the Black British cultural renaissance of the 1980s. Her earlier works examined the issues of race and gender in the media and in daily life through large pastel drawings and photographic collages. Her work has since shifted to include a range of media, from prints and film to drawings, sound, installation and photographs.  Boyce has been working closely with other artists since 1990, which often involves improvisation and spontaneous performative actions on the part of her collaborators. She is represented in the permanent collections of Arts Council England and London’s Tate Modern. She is a Professor in Black Art & Design at University of the Arts London and in 2019, Boyce was awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List for services to the arts.  Music by GAIKA, with selected tracks from Trojan Records: East Of The River Nile - Augustus Pablo Is it Because I'm Black - Ken Boothe  Hang' em High - Richard Ace The Liquidator - The Harry J All Stars  Featuring excerpts from Pressure (1976), dir. Horace Ové. Courtesy of the British Film Institute (BFI) Producer: Mae-Li Evans and Joby Waldman The series was produced by Reduced Listening and Somerset House GET UP, STAND UP NOW GENERATIONS OF BLACK CREATIVE PIONEERS 12 Jun – 15 Sep 2019 A major new exhibition celebrating the past 50 years of Black creativity in Britain and beyond. Beginning with the radical Black filmmaker Horace Ové and his dynamic circle of Windrush generation creative peers and extending to today’s brilliant young Black talent globally, a group of around 100 interdisciplinary artists will showcase work together for the first time, exploring Black experience and influence, from the post-war era to the present day.

#1 Motherland Legendary musician Dennis Bovell, writer Margaret Busby, and photographer Normski come together with Get Up, Stand Up Now exhibition curator Zak Ové and spoken word artist Joshua Idehen to explore the notion of ‘motherland.’  Original music by Dennis Bovell and Gaika, with selected tracks from Trojan Records. Stalag 17 - King Tubby and the Technique Allstars (Trojan Records) After Tonight - Matumbi (Trojan Records) The Shadow of Your Smile - Tommy McCook and the Super Sonics (Trojan Records) Excerpt from Andrea Levy's Small Island    Producer: Femi Oriogun-Williams The series was produced by Reduced Listening and Somerset House Dennis Bovell         An accomplished multi-instrumentalist, sound engineer, composer and producer, Dennis Bovell has earned himself the reputation of Britain’s reggae maestro. He moved from Barbados to south London at the age of 12 and whilst still at school joined his first band, Road Works Ahead. He later formed the group Matumbi which went on to become Britain’s foremost reggae band, at a time when the genre was spreading from Jamaica to an international audience.  Bovell also formed the Dub Band, beginning an enduring partnership with reggae poet Linton Kwesi Johnson which resulted in the production of numerous classic albums. The 1980s saw Bovell in great demand as a producer, working with bands as diverse as The Slits, Chalice, Orange Juice, The Thompson Twins and Bananarama. Bovell has also worked in television and film and continues to record, produce and play music live all over the world.  Margaret Busby OBE, Hon. FRSL, was born in Ghana and educated in the UK. Graduating from London University, she became Britain’s youngest and first Black woman publisher when she co-founded Allison & Busby in 1967, where she was editorial director for 20 years. Subsequently pursuing a career as editor, broadcaster and critic, she has contributed to many publications, written drama for radio and the stage, served as a judge for prestigious literary competitions, and campaigned for diversity in publishing since the 1980s. She compiled the ground-breaking international anthology Daughters of Africa (1992), and 2019’s follow-up, New Daughters of Africa (Myriad).  Normski Norman ‘Normski’ Anderson was bought his first camera by his Jamaican mother at an auction when he was nine years old. His interest in photography was partly inspired by Horace Ové, as he was childhood friends with Ové’s son Zak. Normski was part of the emerging hip hop music scene during the 1980s and his involvement in music culture led him to photograph hip hop artists and fashions for publications like The Face, i-D and Vogue. Normski harnesses his personal sensibilities to capture exquisite detail and memories that might have otherwise gone unnoticed. He also created publicity photographs for the musicians themselves. He has also worked as a DJ and television presenter. GET UP, STAND UP NOW GENERATIONS OF BLACK CREATIVE PIONEERS 12 Jun – 15 Sep 2019 A major new exhibition celebrating the past 50 years of Black creativity in Britain and beyond. Beginning with the radical Black filmmaker Horace Ové and his dynamic circle of Windrush generation creative peers and extending to today’s brilliant young Black talent globally, a group of around 100 interdisciplinary artists will showcase work together for the first time, exploring Black experience and influence, from the post-war era to the present day.

A taster of the Get Up, Stand Up Now podcast series, celebrating generations of black creative pioneers.  A crafted sound odyssey over five episodes, guided by the voices of artists featured in the exhibition who explore the discourse around Black experience, activism, creativity and influence.  Coming up: #1 Motherland  Dennis Bovell, Margaret Busby, Normski, Zak Ové              #2 Dream to Change the World  Zak Ové in conversation with Gaylene Gould, BFI (Head of Cinema & Events), and Sonia Boyce OBE   #3 Masquerade  Zoe Bedeaux, Rhea Storr, Margaret Busby and Zak Ové   #4 Imaginary Landscapes Barby Asante in conversation with Paul Goodwin, CCH Pounder, Zak Ové   #5 Mothership Yinka Shonibare CBE, Shabaka Hutchings, Mowalola Ogunlesi, Zak Ové   Presented by spoken word artist Joshua Idehen Original music by GAIKA, Dennis Bovell, Shabaka Hutchings, with selected tracks from Trojan Records.    The series was produced by Reduced Listening and Somerset House Senior Digital Producer, Somerset House: Eleanor Scott Exec Producer: Joby Waldman Producers: Chris Elcombe, Femi Oriogun-Williams, Mae-Li Evans Researcher: Erica McKoy Get Up, Stand Up Now A major new exhibition celebrating the past 50 years of Black creativity in Britain and beyond, at Somerset House 12 June - 15 September 2019. Beginning with the radical Black filmmaker Horace Ové and his dynamic circle of Windrush generation creative peers and extending to today’s brilliant young Black talent globally, a group of around 100 interdisciplinary artists will showcase work together for the first time, exploring Black experience and influence, from the post-war era to the present day. https://www.somersethouse.org.uk/whats-on/get-up-stand-up-now

A new, site-responsive audio work exploring society’s relationship with the natural elements from award-winning artist Serena Korda. Following her acclaimed installations at the National Trust’s Speke Hall and The Hepworth Wakefield, award-winning artist Serena Korda joins Somerset House’s Earth Day 2019 programme with a new, site-responsive work exploring our relationship with the natural elements. Inspired by the Greek primordial goddess of air and mother of birds, Khaos, Korda raises a new flag above the Somerset House courtyard, with the flag design paying homage to a history of maritime warning flags. A flag will accompany the new audio piece which was formed using a handcrafted aeolian harp, a musical instrument named after the ancient Greek god of wind, Aeolus. Korda recorded the harp, which produces sound when a current of air passes through it, during an afternoon spent in and around the dome that holds Somerset House’s flag. Combined with additional field recordings of the flag, the resonance of the flagpole and wind data taken from an anenometer which records wind speed, the resulting audio installation captures the voice of the air.  Visit [somersethouse.org.uk](https://www.somersethouse.org.uk/whats-on/earth-day-season-2019) for more information on Earth Day Season 2019

The second iteration the London Design Biennale brings the best in global design thinking to Somerset House.  This year it is devoted to the theme of Emotional States and explores big questions and ideas around sustainability, migration, pollution, energy, cities, and social equality. Each participating country or region has explored how design can be used to make a better, more sustainable environment for us all to live in through engaging and immersive installations, innovations, artworks and proposed design solutions. In this podcast Sir John Sorrell, president of the London Design Biennale guides us though a selection of the installations and their designers, focussing on the work displayed by four countries: Latvia, Greece, Lebanon and Pakistan.  The London Design Biennale is at Somerset House until the 23rd October 2018. Book Now: http://bit.ly/LDB2018

An interview with writer/director Bart Layton ahead of the UK premiere of American Animals, a true-crime tale full of high tension, bold style, and black humour. A group of four students come together in classic heist movie fashion (think Reservoir Dogs, because that's what they do) to steal some of the world's rarest books from the special collections room of their college library. Quite why they decided to do this, or why they these juvenile amateur criminals thought they were capable of pulling it off, are just some of the deeper currents that run through this irrepressible thriller that may ostensibly conform to crime film conventions but has a way of telling a story that is very much all its own. American Animals asserts both that “This is” and “This is Not Based on a True Story” right from the opening titles, making it very clear that doubt is going to play a very big part in what's to come. Credit writer-director Bart Layton with the high-wire narrative risks, his skill as a documentarian providing an unexpected extra level to the film that really increases its emotional power. What really gives the action its zest and freshness are the performances from the four young leads – mischievous looking star Evan Peters (Quicksilver in the X-Men franchise and a series regular in American Horror Story), the wonderful Irish actor Barry Keoghan (unforgettable in both Dunkirk and The Killing of a Sacred Deer), Blake Jenner (Supergirl and The Edge of Seventeen) and Jared Abrahamson. Each member of the group is distinctive in their own right, but the best scenes are when they come together as a perfectly imperfect gang of thieves. The UK premiere of American Animals is at Film4 Summer Screen at Somerset House on 22 Aug 2018.

In our rapidly evolving media landscape, how are projects that might previously have been confined to print media, manifesting online and through other technologies? Panellists explore what diversifying mediums mean for their message and the opportunities, limitations and challenges they pose. Speakers include Gabrielle de la Puente and Zarine Muhammad The White Pube, Andres Colemenares Internet Age Media, Daniel Caulfield Sriklad Communication Design UAL. Part of PROCESS!, a two day festival celebrating independent media & making presented by Somerset House & Somerset House Studios residents OOMK, bringing together established & emerging designers, artists, activists & publishers to explore, interrogate & share approaches to creative & collaborative process. In the context of high speed media & access to infinite information, how do we create time, space & approaches that can enable us to process the social & political climate & create new media and outputs? Image by Minute Books taken from live illustrations created in response to the talks and insights shared by the speakers.

A panel discussion featuring contemporary publishing practices that embrace interdependent approaches as integral to their process and outcomes. How do collaborative and networked modes of thinking, working and producing challenge notions of ‘independence’ within contemporary publishing? Speakers include Abeera Kamran Exhausted Geographies, Dámaso Randulfe Migrant Journal, Maker & Educator Esther McManus and Sofia Niazi OOMK. Part of PROCESS!, a two day festival celebrating independent media & making presented by Somerset House & Somerset House Studios residents OOMK, bringing together established & emerging designers, artists, activists & publishers to explore, interrogate & share approaches to creative & collaborative process. In the context of high speed media & access to infinite information, how do we create time, space & approaches that can enable us to process the social & political climate & create new media and outputs?

Interview with Marsha Rowe, Co-Founder of Spare Rib. Print! Tearing it Up at Somerset House explores the history and impact of the British independent magazine scene today. The exhibition charts the evolution of polemic and progressive print publications and celebrates the current diverse industry of innovative independent magazines.  https://www.somersethouse.org.uk/whats-on/print-tearing-it-up

An interview with Tony Elliott, Founder of Time Out. Print! Tearing it Up at Somerset House explores the history and impact of the British independent magazine scene today. The exhibition charts the evolution of polemic and progressive print publications and celebrates the current diverse industry of innovative independent magazines.  https://www.somersethouse.org.uk/whats-on/print-tearing-it-up

Interview with Rhona Ezuma, Editor in Chief of Thiiird. Print! Tearing it Up at Somerset House explores the history and impact of the British independent magazine scene today. The exhibition charts the evolution of polemic and progressive print publications and celebrates the current diverse industry of innovative independent magazines.  https://www.somersethouse.org.uk/whats-on/print-tearing-it-up

Interview with Elisabeth Krohn, Editor and Creative Director of Sabat Magazine

Interview with Alpa Depani, Editor of ROMP. Print! Tearing it Up at Somerset House explores the history and impact of the British independent magazine scene today. The exhibition charts the evolution of polemic and progressive print publications and celebrates the current diverse industry of innovative independent magazines.  https://www.somersethouse.org.uk/whats-on/print-tearing-it-up

Interview with Nick Logan, Founder of The Face. Print! Tearing it Up at Somerset House explores the history and impact of the British independent magazine scene today. The exhibition charts the evolution of polemic and progressive print publications and celebrates the current diverse industry of innovative independent magazines.  https://www.somersethouse.org.uk/whats-on/print-tearing-it-up

Interview with Ian Gabb aka Letterpress Monster and the letterpress technician for Royal College of Art.  Print! Tearing it Up at Somerset House explores the history and impact of the British independent magazine scene today. The exhibition charts the evolution of polemic and progressive print publications and celebrates the current diverse industry of innovative independent magazines.  https://www.somersethouse.org.uk/whats-on/print-tearing-it-up

An interview with John L. Walters, Editor of Eye magazine. Print! Tearing it Up at Somerset House explores the history and impact of the British independent magazine scene today. The exhibition charts the evolution of polemic and progressive print publications and celebrates the current diverse industry of innovative independent magazines.  https://www.somersethouse.org.uk/whats-on/print-tearing-it-up

An interview with Pat Randle, Co-Founder of Double Dagger magazine. Print! Tearing it Up at Somerset House explores the history and impact of the British independent magazine scene today. The exhibition charts the evolution of polemic and progressive print publications and celebrates the current diverse industry of innovative independent magazines.  https://www.somersethouse.org.uk/whats-on/print-tearing-it-up

An interview with Sharan Dhaliwal, Editor in Chief of Burnt Roti. Print! Tearing it Up at Somerset House explores the history and impact of the British independent magazine scene today. The exhibition charts the evolution of polemic and progressive print publications and celebrates the current diverse industry of innovative independent magazines.  https://www.somersethouse.org.uk/whats-on/print-tearing-it-up

Perfume is becoming a different kind of cultural experience . In this podcast episode, practitioners and experts spanning the world of perfume, look towards an exciting new future for perfume. New ingredients are providing perfumers with further possibilities for experimentation. Perfumers are exploring novel ideas by embarking on projects with other artists - from photographers to musicians. Contributors explore how the principles of perfume will develop in our increasingly visually saturated world. Featuring: Michael Edwards, fragrance expert, author, and founding editor of Fragrances of the World , the largest guide to perfume classification. Paul Schütze, multi sensory artist and perfumer. Timothy Han, perfumer, founder of Timothy Han / Edition. Sumit Bhasin, Senior Vice President of R&D Luxury at Coty Luxury Felix Mayr-Harting, Head of Fine Fragrances at Givaudan Killian Wells, perfumer Bertrand Duchaufour, perfumer Perfume: A Sensory Journey Through Contemporary Scent until 23 September at Somerset House. #perfumepioneers

The olfactory rebel. Los Angeles-based Killian Wells, pop musician turned perfumer turned millennial entrepreneur, represents less a relaxing of the rules of perfumery and more their ripping up. His fragrance house Xyrena pays homage to the retro culture of the 1980s and to the smells we risk losing in the march of modernity. Wells’ first job was a cinema projectionist and this colours the format of the range; each perfume is packaged in a VHS case, with the invitation to display and reminisce over a movie library of scents. Dark Ride, which features in Perfume, is an olfactory snapshot of a log flume ride - Wells’ references are Disneyland's Pirates of the Caribbean and Splash Mountain rides. Perfume: A Sensory Journey Through Contemporary Scent continues until 23 September at Somerset House. #perfumepioneers #fragrance #exhibition

Bertrand Duchaufour, creator of Avignon, is one of the most prolific and respected perfumers within niche perfumery. He was expecting to become a geologist like his father, until at the age of 16 he smelt his girlfriend's Chanel No. 19, launching a new obsession. Trained in Grasse, Duchaufour now works independently, travelling and taking photographs restlessly to generate new ideas. Over his career he has followed several olfactive paths to which he is repeatedly compelled to return. That for which he is best known is incense. Perfume: A Sensory Journey Through Contemporary Scent continues until 23 September at Somerset House. #perfumepioneers #fragrance #exhibition

Perfumer Andy Tauer is a hobbyist turned professional, inspiring many to try their hand at perfumery. Tauer describes the creation of L’Air du Désert Marocain, which features in the exhibition Perfume: A Sensory Journey Through Contemporary Scent, in cinematic terms as though standing in a desert scene receptive to the odours carried in the breeze. No perfumer has done more than Andy Tauer to communicate with perfume enthusiasts, and to bridge the knowledge gap between creator and consumer. Perfume: A Sensory Journey Through Contemporary Scent continues until 23 Sept. https://www.somersethouse.org.uk/whats-on/perfume #perfumepioneers #andytauer Podcast produced by Jo Barratt.

Lyn Harris has brought a new relaxed confidence to British perfumery, promoting the role of natural materials. Trained in Paris and Grasse, she emphasises the quality of her ingredients which are allowed to shine through using pared down formulations. In Charcoal, Harris has found beauty in a material usually considered prosaic. The perfume holds the tension between hot, rough smoke and a smooth green translucency, and is built around two grades of juniper oil. Perfume: A Sensory Journey Through Contemporary Scent continues until 23 Sept. #perfumepioneers Podcast produced by Jo Barratt.

Free from European perfumery heritage, musician and self-taught perfumer David Seth Moltz is at the vanguard of a thrilling and unorthodox scent movement. His Brooklyn based house D.S. & Durga, co-founded in 2008 with his wife Kavi Durga, uses perfume to tell stories of offbeat landscapes and folk histories capturing places in time and space. David shares his story behind El Cosmico, the perfume created for the eponymous trailer and teepee campsite in the city of Marfa, in the remote high desert of West Texas. Perfume: A Sensory Journey Through Contemporary Scent continues until 23 Sept. #perfumepioneers Podcast produced by Jo Barratt, commissioned by Somerset House. #dsdurga #davidsethmoltz #newyork #brooklyn #perfume

Daniela Andrier's perfumery is about evolution, not revolution. Her creation Purple Rain for Prada Olfactories (2015) is an exquisite, seamless layering of iris effects. Daniella introduces her philosophical approach to perfumery and gives insight into how our sense of smell can play an important role in memory, and our understanding of time and space. Purple Rain is designed to prompt a sense of deja vu by smelling distinct yet somehow familiar. Perfume: A Sensory Journey Through Contemporary Scent continues at Somerset House until 23 September. #perfumepioneers https://www.somersethouse.org.uk/whats-on/perfume http://perfume.digital/ Podcast produced by Jo Barratt #perfume #scent #danielaandrier #purplerain #prada

Antoine Lie talks about love and bodily fluids as he introduces the concept behind Sécretions Magnifiques, perhaps the most provocative scent within the Perfume exhibition. Recalling the height of sexual pleasure with the smells of semen, sweat and milk, the perfume has been highly divisive since its launch a decade ago, labelled as both attractive and repulsive. Perfume: A Sensory Journey Through Contemporary Scent continues at Somerset House until 12 September. #perfumepioneers perfume.digital Podcast produced by Jo Barratt