This Summer, London-based multidisciplinary artist, Yinka Ilori has been commissioned by the team at Greenwich Peninsula to transform Tide Square, the inviting riverside space home to The Tide, London’s first elevated walkway.
Established as an evolving canvas for public art and artist exploration, The Tide will host Promise me memories and I will let you in, a striking and immersive multilayered experience for play and reconnection. Available and accessible for all to enjoy between 12th June – 19th September, these colourful playscapes aim to provide a joyful place for collaborative play for adults and children alike, as the capital starts to reopen after lockdown.
A unique riverside setting, this will be a space for celebration, inviting the community to create memories and enjoy new experiences after a tough year. At the centre, a striking stage featuring Ilori’s bold aesthetic will be the focal point, hosting a varied programme of not to be missed outdoor performances from some of the capital’s leading cultural artists. From open-air live music, film screenings and talks, to communitydriven radio residencies hosted by the likes of Foundation FM and Reprezent FM, the event series will be free for all to enjoy, whilst soaking up the buzzing riverside atmosphere throughout summer.
The series, titled Summer Sessions, will be kicked off in June by Jazz performances with Tomorrow’s Warriors, a collective of jazz musicians driving opportunity and diversity within the industry, and Clonmell Jazz Social, and will culminate in a live music weekend in September.
The patterns and shapes that adorn the piece in Ilori’s signature style all derive from his own memories of architectural spaces and colours, collected over the last year whilst running and cycling, looking for inspiration. The result will be a series of playful experiences for both adults and children including hopscotch made from reclaimed car tyres and a crazy golf course. Alongside the playscapes, the installation will include various pocket spaces to explore and will feature a series of eye-catching picnic benches to encourage visitors and the local community to come together again and shape new memories.
Extending from the ground to the skies, the recreational space will be populated with a sequence of brightly coloured bespoke flags, inspired by the movement of the river and nature that surrounds the Peninsula, and vibrant floor artwork that will transform the stairway entrance to the square.
Ilori’s bold, colourful style has gained a notable reputation. Renowned for his application of vivid graphics to a range of architecture, interior and public projects, Promise me memories and I will let you in will enliven the riverfront destination, forming a vibrant canvas for the community to enjoy the plethora of free and immersive experiences on offer on Greenwich Peninsula, London’s most exciting cultural destination.
Kaia Charles, cultural curator at Greenwich Peninsula commented “We want to create playful, creative, safe spaces for local visitors to enjoy this Summer. Yinka Ilori’s vision creates colourful, thoughtful narratives for communities to reconnect through curiosity and imagination”.
