Iconic Ridley Road market makes an exhibition of itself
The black community has been the bedrock of the road since the 1950s as their stories are now told via stunning wall art
STREET SCENE: Family members during a visit to Ridley Road Photo: Wayne R Crichlow
THE EAST End of London has many gems. One of several jewels in the crown is the iconic Ridley Road Market in Dalston. Now the world famous market is currently subject of an exhibition.
Future Hackney presents local public photography exhibitions documenting and celebrating the life of Ridley Road. In the first phase of this initiative Future Hackney installs images on the wall on the Red Cross Building.
Future Hackney is a long-term project that documents social change in East London. Local visual storytellers work alongside youth and residents to create a living archive of the inner-city in this rapidly changing canvas.
Historical spaces
Through representing these communities and establishing their cultural and historical spaces, they aim to highlight the relevance of London’s multicultural legacy.
Ridley Road Stories is an ongoing accessible archive of the African and Caribbean communities on Ridley Road.
VIBRANT: The East End market is always full of colour Photo: Christopher Andreou
The project/exhibition has been produced with the community; giving interviews, setting up photoshoots, editing street images, oral histories and creating narratives.
Selection
The current exterior exhibition, shows a a selection of the work as 10 large format prints, on show for one year and is funded by Arts Council England, National Lottery Community Fund, and The Worshipful Company of Weavers.
GOING BACK TO THEIR ROOTS: Hair be attended to Photo: Brunel Johnson
Donna Travis of Future Hackney said: “Ridley Road Stories is a documentary story of a Hackney Street with a rich history of Caribbean and African culture.
“Future Hackney has been capturing this dynamic space over the last three years as a living archive. We increasingly recognise public art as the new ‘gallery’ so this just seemed the perfect way to introduce the project especially with the resonance locally of the iconic Red Cross building and with the BLM movement.”
Address of wall exhibition installation: The Red Cross Building, 92 Dalston Lane E8 1NG