Horse Hospital Explained

The Horse Hospital
Address:Colonnade, Bloomsbury, London WC1N 1JD
Location Country:England, United Kingdom
Coordinates:51.5228°N -0.1244°W
Map Type:Greater London
Start Date:1794
Completion Date:1797
Architect:James Burton

The Horse Hospital is a Grade II listed not for profit, independent arts venue at Colonnade, Bloomsbury, central London.[1] Its curatorial focus is on counter-cultural histories, sub-cultures, outsiders and emerging artists. It organizes underground film screenings and exhibitions.[2] Founded in 1992 by Roger K. Burton,[3] the venue opened with Vive Le Punk!, a retrospective of Vivienne Westwood's punk designs in 1993.[4]

The building was originally built by James Burton in 1797 as stabling for cab drivers' sick horses.

History

Initially programmed by Burton and Ian White, the venue's reputation grew both in London and abroad. James B. L. Hollands later replaced White as curator. The artist, Tai Shani was the programmer from 2006 to 2016, followed by Sholto Dobie and Letitia Calin. George Lynch and Alexia Marmara have been curators and programmers since 2022.

In 1998, the Horse Hospital hosted the debut British exhibition by outsider artist / painter Joe Coleman which attracted a new audience. Subsequently, the venue played host to a variety of performers, musicians, artists, film makers and writers, including Dame Darcy, Anita Pallenberg,[5] Iain Aitch, Jack Sargeant, Valie Export, Chris Carter, David Tibet, Helen Chadwick, Dennis Cooper, Nan Goldin, Morton Bartlett, Lydia Lunch, Bruce Bickford, Gee Vaucher and Crass, Alejandro Jodorowsky,[6] Stewart Home, Jeremy Reed, Franko B, Ron Athey, Banksy, Marc Almond, Yvonne Rainer, Artūras Barysas and others.

It has also been used by various record labels, publishing houses including Soft Skull Press, Verso, Serpent's Tail and Clear Cut Press. and journals such as Strange Attractor and Granta for special events, as well as a screening space for numerous film festivals including the Fashion in Film Festival, London International Animation Festival, London Porn Film Festival[1] amongst others.

The Horse Hospital houses and is supported by the Contemporary Wardrobe Collection, a fashion archive that specialises in post-war street fashion, sub-cultures and British design. The Chamber of Pop Culture is located there.[7] Proud Camden has been located there since about 2008.[8]

In 2015 The Horse Hospital was listed with London Borough of Camden as a Community Asset and the site was selected for inclusion in the British Library’s UK Web Archive as a website of cultural importance.

In 2019 it was announced that The Horse Hospital was at risk of closure after its landlord proposed a 333 per cent rent increase, from £30,000 to £130,000 annually from the beginning of 2020.[9] [10] [11] At the start of January 2020 it secured an extension on its lease until 28 February.[12] Eventually, according to The Horse Hospital's website, a new lease was secured until December 2024, with a rent increase of 33%.[13]

The building

The building is Grade II listed. It was originally built by James Burton in 1797 as stabling for cab drivers' sick horses, the Horse Hospital is notable for its unique stone tiled floor. Access to both floors is by concrete moulded ramps, the upper floor ramp retains hardwood slats preventing the horses from slipping. It can be found at Colonnade, Bloomsbury, London.

Major exhibitions

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Oliver. Basciano. 2019-12-18. Alternative London porn festival changes location after protests. The Guardian. 26 April 2019. 0261-3077. www.theguardian.com.
  2. Web site: THE HORSE HOSPITAL. English Heritage. 15 December 2015.
  3. Web site: The Contemporary Wardrobe by Roger Burton. https://web.archive.org/web/20121022001017/http://www.byronesque.com/editorial/the-contemporary-wardrobe-part-oneby-roger-burton#1. dead. 22 October 2012. Bryonesque. 10 September 2016. 10 May 2012.
  4. News: Steve. Rose. 2019-12-18. This week's new film events. The Guardian. 2 February 2013. 0261-3077. www.theguardian.com.
  5. News: Will. Hodgkinson. 2019-12-18. Anita Pallenberg: more rock'n'roll than the Stones. The Times. 0140-0460. www.thetimes.co.uk.
  6. Web site: Alexandro Jodorowsky & Pascale Montadon at The Horse Hospital – Soho to Hampstead – Time Out London. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20191218105003/https://www.timeout.com/london/art/alexandro-jodorowsky-pascale-montadon. 2019-12-18.
  7. News: Guardian Staff. 2019-12-18. Stick 'em up. The Guardian. 25 November 1999. 0261-3077. www.theguardian.com.
  8. News: Leonie. Cooper. Patric. Baird. Marc Rowlands & John. Mitchell. 2019-12-18. This week's new clubs. The Guardian. 18 June 2010. 0261-3077. www.theguardian.com.
  9. Web site: Edward M.. Gómez. 2021-10-20. Fighting to Save a Fringe Landmark. 4 July 2020. Hyperallergic.
  10. Web site: 2019-12-18. Arts space The Horse Hospital at risk after 333 per cent rent rise. 18 October 2019. Evening Standard.
  11. Web site: 2019-12-18. Rent rise puts future of arts space in doubt. Islington Tribune.
  12. Web site: 2020-01-05. Stop The Horse Hospital. The Horse Hospital.
  13. Web site: 2021-10-20. The Horse Hospital: Independent Arts Venue. The Horse Hospital.
  14. Web site: 2019-12-18. Original Sin. The Horse Hospital.
  15. Web site: 2019-12-18. Remote Control. The Horse Hospital. 18 December 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191218105002/https://www.thehorsehospital.com/archive/past/the-chamber-of-pop-culture-past/remote-control. dead.
  16. http://arts.independent.co.uk/music/features/article1930746.ece "Stevo: Bizzare after all these years "
  17. News: Jessica. Lack. 2019-12-18. Discovering the DIY way. The Guardian. 18 July 2008. 0261-3077. www.theguardian.com.
  18. News: Iain. Aitch. 2019-12-18. Event preview: From Fear To Sanity, London. The Guardian. 8 August 2008. 0261-3077. www.theguardian.com.
  19. News: Pete. Paphides. 2019-12-18. Bone music: the Soviet bootleg records pressed on x-rays. The Guardian. 29 January 2015. 0261-3077. www.theguardian.com.
  20. Web site: 2019-12-18. AutopsiA Thanatopolis. The Horse Hospital.

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