Old Police Station, Spitalfields & Banglatown, London, 2021. Part of Nocturnal Creatures (Whitechapel Gallery), in collaboration with Tower Hamlets Councillor Puru Miah
Image Gallery
Project Information
Repurposed by Abbas Zahedi, the disused Police Station on Brick Lane becomes a space for social evaluation: the Brick Lane Foundation. Inspired by the processes of critique in art school, Zahedi highlights concerns around migrant histories and the gentrification of East London; by reframing the role of the police, as a force concerned with the feedback and feelings of local people.
In the run up to the Nocturnal Creatures festival (Whitechapel Gallery), Zahedi reconnected with Tower Hamlets Councillor Puru Miah, so as to explore the possibility of how this partnership with Whitechapel Gallery can initiate a means of handing the police station over to local residents. To this end, a repurposed streetlight illuminates the artist’s main question amidst the churn of regeneration: ‘how does it feel?’ Collecting responses via QR codes and oral conversations; furthermore, Zahedi will expand this polling, using numerous methods, to collect and share data relating to this question.
In the parallel Police Book Exchange project, participants can donate or suggest books they would like members of the police to read. A selection of these are then made available in the Brick Lane Foundation space.
Police Book Exchange
Framed email reads:
Emily Butler
From: Emily Butler
Sent: 09 July 2021 10:36
To: CEMailbox Whitechapel@met.police.uk
Cc: Abbas Zahedi: Wells F. Smith
Subject: Whitechapel Gallery Nocturnal Creatures festival: Police Book ExchangeDear Whitechapel Police Station,
For one night only, on Saturday 17 July 2021, Whitechapel Gallery and nearby historic, outdoor and unusual spaces in East London are transformed by installations, films, live performances, music, and food experiences.
Free, pre-bookable tickets are available here, as well as walk-in tickets on the day of the festival, to offer maximum flexibility and peace of mind to our visitors.
Repurposed by artist Abbas Zahedi, the disused Police Station on Brick Lane becomes a space for social evaluation: the Brick Lone Foundation. Inspired by the processes of critique in art school, Zahedi highlights concerns around the gentrification of East London and reframes the role of the police as a force concerned with the feedback and feelings of local people.
In parallel, the Police Book Exchange project invites participants to donate or suggest books they would like members of the police to read and vice versa. A selection of these are available in the Brick Lane Foundation space.
We are inviting you to participate by thinking about what books would you like members of the general public to read in return?
- If you would like to participate by donating a physical book, please drop these off at Whitechapel Gallery and mention the ‘Police Book Exchange’ during our opening hours noted here.
- You are also welcome to suggest a book to add to our reading list here.
Individuals are welcome to share their name and the first part of their postcode, or for their suggestion to remain anonymous. Please email exhibitions@whitechapelgallery.org if you have any further questions.
Please do feel free to share this invitation with other colleagues and contacts too,
With best wishes,
Abbas Zahedi and the Nocturnal Creatures Team, Whitechapel Gallery
Police Book Exchange Image Gallery
Further information about this project is available on the Whitechapel Gallery’s website source
Abbas Zahedi // عباس زاهدی // abbzah.com 