Together with the Lisson Gallery, artisan fashion designer Hussein Chalayan created an installation to be on display from 8 September to 2nd October 2010. The showcase called Üzgünüm Leyla (I Am Sad Leyla) draws on themes from the
fields of art, anthropology, music and design. In the exhibition Chalayan explores the concept of what constitutes both an artwork and a garment while combining his characteristic elements of cultural acuity and performative panache.
Chalayan always approaches his work from an interdisciplinary point of view and the new installation is an extension of this. According to Chalayan working in an art context gives him a certain freedom to further explore his work. Both the new installation and an accompanying film piece centre on ideas, which have continually fascinated the designer including cultural identity and performance as an art form.
The project has emerged from a longstanding dialogue between the designer and Lisson Gallery's Curatorial Director Greg Hilty who says: "Hussein Chalayan is rightly celebrated not just for his fashion but as one of London's leading innovators in visual culture. His sensitive play with the history and poetic potential of wide-ranging cultural forms make him a natural fit for Lisson's programme of exhibitions."
Lisson Gallery is located at 29 Bell Street in London. Also opening on 17 September 2010 is his solo show at Spring Projects in London, this exhibition, entitled B-Side, will showcase works never seen before along with other represented in a new way.
Image: Lisson Gallery