Museum of London today announces that iconic London venue fabric will become the world’s first nightclub-in-residence.
The partnership will kick off with My bodily remains, your bodily remains, and all the bodily remains that ever were, and ever will be. (Down, skin, pelt, vellum, alert tangled roots, subcutaneous flesh, subterranean blind life), a new performance commission by artist Tai Shani for Art Night, which will be staged at fabric on 25 October. My bodily remains will feature an original live score by Shani’s long-term collaborator Maxwell Sterling and Richard Fearless (Death in Vegas).
The one-night-only performance will take the form of a chamber play and celebrate the Museum of London’s impending relocation to West Smithfield as well as the Museum of London Dockland’s major exhibition Executions (through to 16 April 2023), which traces the history of public executions from the 12th to the 19th century.
The museum is closing its doors at its main site at London Wall on 4 December ahead of its relocation to West Smithfield, where it will occupy market buildings and save the historic General Market for generations to come.
Situated opposite the museum’s new location is fabric, one of the world’s most venerated nightclubs. fabric is in a renovated Victorian building once used as the Metropolitan Cold Stores – one of several refrigerated warehouses serving Smithfield Meat Market. This unique cultural partnership brings these two historically connected buildings back together.
fabric will celebrate its 25th anniversary in 2024 – the museum will collaborate with the famed nightclub to mark this special milestone and celebrate its impact on London’s nightlife and music scene.
The museum will also work with fabric in 2025 for a festival curated by Londoners hosted in and around the new museum building at West Smithfield, offering Londoners a chance to see the restored General Market building alongside music, art commissions, food and events inspired by London and all its people from the past, present and future.
fabric will also be involved in the museum’s opening in 2026, where it will formally undertake its position as nightclub in residence.
The partnership will enable the museum to connect with the cultural community in Smithfield. It will be the first in a series of creative, commercial and community partnerships that the museum will forge to connect with Londoners and showcase London’s history in a variety of ways, including its famed musical past.
Sharon Ament, Director, Museum of London, said: “From DJ EZ to Jossy Mitsu, fabric has been at the forefront of the international electronic music scene for decades. As we embark on our exciting new journey, we are thrilled to join forces with fabric – our soon-to-be neighbours and one of London’s most iconic cultural spaces. Our collaboration will create special moments and memories for Londoners and visitors to the city. The first of many collaborations to offer new perspectives on London’s story.”
