Going into the night at the Barbican
Into the Night: Cabarets and Clubs in Modern Art Installation view, Barbican Art Gallery, 4 October 2019 – 19 January 2020. Recreation of the bar at the Cabaret Fledermaus, originally designed by Josef Hoffmann (1907) 2019. Conceived by the Barbican Art Gallery and Caruso St John, in collaboration with the University of Applied Arts, Vienna ©Tristan Fewings / Getty Images
In an age in which creatives are more likely to collaborate online – via Skype, Slack, Medium, or any of the numerous platforms we now rely on – the idea of meeting in romantic, dimly-lit bars to discuss ideas in person or even foment revolution is romantically nostalgic. Downing one's laptop and smartphone to philosophise with intellectuals over candlelight and wine might be a rare treat these days, but an exhibition at the Barbican shows just how important cabarets and clubs were for the exchange of ideas in times gone by.
Running until early 2020, Into the Night: Cabarets and Clubs in Modern Art explores the social and artistic role of cabarets, cafés, and clubs around the world. Spanning the 1880s to the 1960s, the exhibition presents a dynamic and multi-faceted history of artistic production and features both famed and little-known sites of the avant-garde. These creative spaces were incubators of radical thinking, where artists could exchange provocative ideas and create new forms of artistic expression.
Into the Night : Cabarets and Clubs in Modern Art Installation view, Barbican Art Gallery, 4 October 2019 – 19 January 2020 ©Tristan Fewings / Getty Images
Into the Night offers an alternative history of modern art that highlights the spirit of experimentation and collaboration between artists; performers; designers; musicians and writers such as Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec; Loïe Fuller; Josef Hoffmann; Giacomo Balla and Sophie Taeuber-Arp, as well as Josephine Baker, Jeanne Mammen, Ramón Alva de la Canal and Ibrahim El-Salahi.
Jane Alison, Head of Visual Arts at the Barbican, said Into the Night casts a spotlight on some of the most electrifying cabarets and clubs of the modern era:
“Whether a creative haven, intoxicating stage or liberal hangout, all were magnets for artists, designers and performers to come together, collaborate and express themselves freely. Capturing the essence of these global incubators of experimentation and cross-disciplinarity, immersive 1:1 scale interiors will take the visitor on a captivating journey of discovery.”
The beautiful work on show at the Barbican as part of Into the Night serve as an inspiration to us as modern day writers, editors, and creators – to leave our laptops behind us more often and venture out into the world, forging connections with the people we meet in person, discovering new perspectives and sparking new ideas in the process.
Into the Night: Cabarets & Clubs in Modern Art is on show until 19 Jan 2020 at Barbican Art Gallery.