Friday 17th October, 1 – 2pm: Guided Tour of ‘DEATH HOPE LIFE FEAR…’ at the Gilbert & George Centre
Following the screening in our cinema, please join us at the Gilbert & George Centre on Heneage Street for a special guided tour of ‘DEATH HOPE LIFE FEAR…’ an exhibition of 18 pictures by Gilbert & George that span the years 1984 to 1998, an astonishingly prolific period for the artists.
The exhibition brings together the epic quadripartite picture DEATH HOPE LIFE FEAR, which the exhibition takes its title from, and presents it alongside a unique selection of pictures from Gilbert & George’s ‘NEW DEMOCRATIC PICTURES’ and ‘RUDIMENTARY PICTURES’.
DEATH HOPE LIFE FEAR, part of Tate’s permanent collection, is one of 23 works created by Gilbert & George for ‘THE 1984 PICTURES’. The principal of this series is concise: youth, nature, Gilbert & George and colour itself. In the ‘NEW DEMOCRATIC PICTURES’, originally exhibited in London in 1992, the artists appeared naked for the first time. The pictures also developed the symbolic use of colour that had become characteristic of their work from the early 1980s onwards. In ‘THE RUDIMENTARY PICTURES’ the artists are stripped of the uniform of their clothing – appearing as vulnerable travellers bearing witness to scenes beyond their control.
From their very beginnings, Gilbert & George have sought to express in their art the fundamentals of human existence: the universal truths as they see them of the modern condition. The title of this exhibition, ‘DEATH HOPE LIFE FEAR…’ is therefore descriptive of the subjects surveyed by the art of Gilbert & George, and the feelings that may be evoked by those subjects within the individual, who as such ‘completes’ the picture, each in their own way.
“Each picture speaks of a ‘Particular View’ which the viewer may consider in the light of his own life.”
– Gilbert & George
Further project information
The Gilbert and George Centre can be found on 18th century Heneage Street, situated in the Brick Lane and Fournier Street Conservation Area.
Upon arrival, visitors are greeted by a hand-forged wrought iron gate, before entering through a secluded cobbled courtyard, featuring a film room pavilion that introduces the "World of Gilbert & George". A dimly lit reception area leads to three contemporary exhibition spaces of different scale and feel providing a discrete setting for the artists' large-scale creations.
The Centre has been thoughtfully converted from a 1820’s former brewery building, most recently in residential use. By combining preserved, restored and contemporary elements, the project honours the building's industrial past aligning with the artists' vision of heritage, architectural spaces and art display.
The brief required a challenging approach to create sufficient space for the Centre's transformation on a restricted site. A new basement level was constructed under the building’s pre-existing footprint and a new above-ground side extension was added.
Spitalfields has been Gilbert & George’s home and subject since the mid 1960s. The Centre is an extension of the artist’s “Art for All” ethos and aims to become a leading cultural institution - committed to free access for all members of the community - as well as providing a permanent home for an unrivalled artistic legacy by welcoming visitors from across the globe.
Further project information can be found under following links:
Members have access to all events in our programme.