I often blog about events from the Old Selfridges Hotel site and the varying installations that transform the space but this might be the most radical to date! The vast building has been converted into the UK's largest free indoor skate park! The track is divided into settings inspired by existing iconic sites such as Southbank with the flooring and walls decked out in replica surfaces specific for the skate decks!! Here are images from last evening's opening with different skate groups weaving in and out of each other, thru arches, up pipes, down hand rails and over waves of bumps. There are even giant scale Selfridges props as ramps - a massive book, lipstick, sunglasses and the yellow paper carrier bag. It's now open to the public with lessons for novices wishing to give it a go and learn some skillllllz - see here to book. The concept store has also been given a skate theme overhaul with over 1000 world-exclusive boards on sale including fashion designer editions such as Rick Owens!
Its that time of year for Secret 7"s where bands and musicians donate a track to be pressed for a special release with every cover being a unique artwork by an anonymous artist. The operation invites established practitioners to contribute in addition to opening up the project to the public for anyone to have a go. This year the tracks come from Massive Attack, Roxy Music, Black Sabbath, T-REX, Lorde, Jake Bugg and Elbow. Some of the creatives putting their signature style to the vinyl sleeves are Jeremy Deller, Antony Gormley, Jake & Dinos Chapman, Paul Smith etc.............. head over to the site to scroll thru the gallery and watch the interview video above to hear more from Stanley Donwood, Alex Chinneck, The Monsterist and me!
The 700 sleeves will be exhibited at Mother in London on April 12th & 13th, then sold on the 19th (Record Store Day) for £45 with all profits supporting WarChild. Both the music artist and cover artist are a secret until you buy it! Last year the que camped out the night before, so get your action plan in place ready to get thru the door to purchase and invest!!
