eleven twenty three
the inaugural exhibition
In April of 2023, an exhibition was presented at St Bartholomew the Great in honour of its 900th birthday. The exhibition was curated by artist in residence Elena Unger and co-curator Heidi Pearce. Twenty artists were featured and each work responded directly to the space, its history, and the artist’s individual experiences of St Bart’s. The exhibition brought over 500 guests to the private view and over 4000 guests over the exhibition’s two-week run. The exhibition was sponsored by the Painter-Stainers and Culture Mile.
Artworks
Forty- five artistic interventions by twenty artists.
Elena Unger
KV Duong
Marcia Teusink
Hoa Dung Clerget
Angela Chen
Cristiano Di Martino
Hannah Lim
Reuben Sian De Gourlay
Heidi Pearce
Oliver Kadel
Anne Von Freyburg
Yuki Aruga
Mary Pedicini
Carolein Smit
Pippa Gatty
Sam Unger
Leila Dear
Juliette Mahieux Bartoli
Joe Hoole
Adam Boyd
The Event
The private view took place from 7pm- 10pm on the 20th of April and was an incredibly successful event with over 500 people in attendance. Highlights included speeches by the curators and the Right Honourable Lord Parkinson, the UK Minister for Culture, a DJ session by Diptych, and cocktails by our sponsors with edible versions of each artwork printed on the drinks.
Selected Press
Jonathan Evens, Art critic for the Church Times
“This exhibition demonstrates the value of welcoming and supporting artists within congregations.”
“Unger’s deep knowledge and understanding of the building and the ministry that is facilitated in and through it [result in] an exhibition perfectly attuned to the space — not simply in terms of its materiality, but also its purpose — whether the works shown harmonise with the space or pose questions of it.”
Tabish Khan, Art critic for FAD Magazine
“I love how art takes me to new venues such as this collection of contemporary art interventions inside this beautiful church. Inside recesses hanging from the ceilings and threading through the grates it’s an impressive collection of contemporary artists in one exhibition.
London Art Roundup
“33 works from 20 contemporary artists are now on display in London’s oldest parish church as part of the 900th birthday celebration of St Bartholomew the Great. Yes, the one from Four Weddings and a Funeral. Don’t expect religious overload, though. Artist and co-curator Elena Unger selected a collection of mostly abstract works because she felt they could “stand on their own in this space” and you’ll have a gloriously gothic experience exploring to find them all.”