London Street Transformed: 'Rooms of Neighbours' Art Project Unites Community

The Birth of 'Rooms of Neighbours'

In 1986, an exhibition called Chambres d’Amis took contemporary art beyond the confines of the museum setting and into the homes of 58 residents in Ghent. Forty years on, a similar experiment is taking place, but on a small street in Peckham, south-east London.

The Project's Concept and Execution

Rooms of Neighbours is the brainchild of curator Ben Broome, who came across Chambres d’Amis when he was between institutional jobs. With time on his hands and an urge to get to know his neighbours better, he began to wonder how he could apply the idea to his own community, but with a broader focus.

The Artistic Collaborations

Early last year, Broome knocked on the doors of his neighbours to introduce himself, before pitching the idea to them over cups of tea. The 12 households who signed up were paired with a mix of established and emerging artists, each of whom had an interest in domestic spaces or what Broome refers to as a “social practice”. Since then, a collection of bespoke, site-specific works have been installed in the homes, gardens and communal spaces of those taking part.

The Impact on the Community

This community spirit runs through much of the exhibition, from developing the ideas together to choosing the placement of the work, processes in which the residents have become both collaborators and “curators in their own home”, says Broome. Many of the residents have met for the first time, and they now communicate regularly over a WhatsApp group.

The Future of 'Rooms of Neighbours'

Most of the works will remain in situ indefinitely, living among the residents’ plants and furnishings. An architectural sculpture by Liam Gillick, which is installed in one of the communal gardens, has since been repurposed by the neighbours, who use it as a gathering spot for BBQs and a storage space for their garden furniture.