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Factory Dispatches: Exploration of OHSH Projects at the Bottling Facility

Artistic duo Henry Hussey and Sophia Olver, the masterminds behind OHSH Projects, discuss their newest exhibition, VESSEL, currently showcased at The Bottle Factory in southeast London, with AT.

Factory Updates: Exploration of OHSH Projects at the Bottle Manufacturing Facility
Factory Updates: Exploration of OHSH Projects at the Bottle Manufacturing Facility

Factory Dispatches: Exploration of OHSH Projects at the Bottling Facility

In the heart of southeast London, The Bottle Factory – a building embodying regenerative principles – is currently hosting the thought-provoking VESSEL exhibition. This travelling artistic project, founded by Henry Hussey and Sophia Olver in early 2021, has made its latest stop at this former industrial site, transforming it into a vibrant art space.

VESSEL, an exhibition curated to present glass and ceramic artists in the same conversation as fine art, is on show for the Regenerative Architecture Index (RAI) launch party on Thursday 12th September. The exhibition, which will run beyond the RAI event, invites visitors to explore the symbolic capacity of vessels to hold, preserve, and convey human experience.

The first space OHSH Projects inhabited was a unit on New Oxford Street that had been empty for years. Now, The Bottle Factory, with its rich history, has influenced the conceptual framework of VESSEL, serving as a metaphor for the exhibition's exploration of vessels.

Camilla Bliss's installation echoes the production line and reflects the building's historical role. Meanwhile, Elliot Walker's artworks are installed surrounding one of the columns, and James Devereux uses recycled glass from repurposed bottles, tying into The Bottle Factory's former use.

Alexander Aitken's installation at the entrance of VESSEL highlights the theme of containment and physical and metaphorical holding. His work illustrates how the vessel has come to be used as a metaphor to describe society.

Artworks are placed on large Victorian windowsills in The Bottle Factory, with the added benefit of backlighting the artworks. This placement creates a meaningful dialogue with the historical context of The Bottle Factory, emphasising the exhibition's focus on sustainability, history, and transformation.

VESSEL, much like OHSH Projects, is dedicated to fostering cultural exchange and artistic collaboration across different spaces. The project aims to link artists and spaces, creating opportunities for artists during the lockdown, as it did with its exhibition at Thames-Side Studios Gallery in London.

OHSH Projects has also been involved in international art scenes, such as presenting works in Los Angeles under shows like "Taste: a taste of the British art scene," underscoring its role in bridging artists and audiences across borders.

For more information on the Regenerative Architecture Index launch party, visit their online platform. VESSEL, an exhibition that challenges traditional exhibition formats, invites visitors to engage with contemporary art in a unique and immersive way, making it a must-see for art enthusiasts in southeast London.

  1. The VESSEL exhibition, which is currently housed at The Bottle Factory in southeast London, aims to foster cultural exchange and artistic collaboration across various spaces, similar to OHSH Projects' international involvements.
  2. Visitors to VESSEL can explore the symbolic capacity of vessels through the artworks on display, such as Camilla Bliss's installation that echoes the building's historical role and James Devereux's pieces utilizing recycled glass from repurposed bottles, reflecting the former use of The Bottle Factory.
  3. Beyond its focus on contemporary art and cultural exchange, VESSEL also offers opportunities for lifelong learning and self-development, as it has done during lockdown periods by providing exhibition spaces for artists, and it invites citizens of southeast London to engage with art in an immersive and unique way, aligning with the exhibition's themes of sustainability, history, and transformation.

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