Work-Leisure, things made by Park Royal workers
From the whimsical to the functional, Work-Leisure is a unique opportunity to delve into the many things made by workers for their own amusement across the different industries in Park Royal, an area in west London that is one of the largest Industrial Estates in Europe and home to more than 2,000 businesses and 40,000 employees.
About the project
Work and leisure are often seen as opposites, where industrial work is expressionless and routine and leisure is time away from work. Yet, after hours and in between tasks, there lies a parallel world of making. Falling outside the work context of supply and demand, these personal creations reflect the imagination of the worker, as well as demonstrate a pride in performance, play and a mastery of materials and techniques.
This growing collection of objects and the narratives around them have much to contribute to our understanding of the subjective meaning of work, sense of place, as well as the politics of time. Over a 6-month period, London-based designer Bahbak Hashemi-Nezhad sought out objects from across the many manufacturers in Park Royal to create a visual archive, which will be curated in a publication, and culminate in an exhibition at the first Park Royal Design District, as part of the London Design Festival 2021.
Led by artist Bahbak Hashemi-Nezhad
Bahbak Hashemi-Nezhad’s design studio produces work spanning the domestic and public realm, from food and games to spaces and products. Drawing on fields such as anthropology, aesthetics and play theory, his work explores the adaptive role of the designer within urbanisation and develops, through real-life projects, methodologies to actively engage the public within design processes.
He has developed projects, exhibited and conducted masterclasses extensively, both in the UK and internationally, including with the Serpentine Galleries, The Showroom, Nottingham Contemporary, Liverpool Biennial, Shanghai Biennale, MACBA Barcelona and CCA Singapore amongst others. Hashemi-Nezhad lives and works in London, where he also leads a Masters course at the Royal College of Art focusing on participatory design.
Spannersaurus creation
The image used on this page to help represent this project is Spannersaurus, created by Phil Webb of Neg Earth.
Our funders
Work-Leisure by Bahbak Hashemi-Nezhad is a major art commission as part of OPDC’s Great Place Scheme Programme and is being produced by Create London. The Great Place Scheme has been supported by the Arts Council England and the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
The Art Commission and all Great Place Scheme projects form part of, In the Making, a collection of activities that Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation (OPDC) are delivering to shine a light on the positive changes happening now as part of this once-in-a-lifetime regeneration opportunity, delivering everyday improvements with local communities.
Project team
OPDC leads: Grace Williams – Great Place Scheme Programme Manager, and Priya Jethwa – Arts in Industry Community Organiser
Key partners and stakeholders: Create
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