Fittingly on the weekend of Open House, Sat & Sun in London also sees the return of the annual ‘Open Studios’ art bonanza that is Hackney Wicked. And we’re in it! Whether you’re an art aficionado, an architectural adventurer or just plain nosey, come see some contemporary art inside the Victorian warehouses and industrial spaces on the edge of the Olympic Park that are home to Europe’s largest artist community.

Hot on the heels of our talk at Germany’s Documenta Art Fair, Hackney Tours is also involved in Hackney Wicked, showing our photographic response to London 2012 Olympic security The Hackney Wall, in the Mother Project Space. In the long corridor leading off the Elevator Gallery, you’ll be able to see a collection of photographs shot on location around the Olympic perimeter and in Berlin. Mainly taken in Hackney Wick, they feature the Lea towpath that was closed to residents’ chagrin and the controversially built-upon Leyton Marsh.

But some images were also taken around the Berlin Wall. Conflating imagery from the Olympic fence and the German capital’s iconic stretch of the Iron Curtain, it’s hard to tell what is Berlin then and London now. And those endless helicopters…

Hackney Wicked normally runs in July but was delayed this year because of the Games and ‘policing and licensing issues’. One of its roles is to form an artist community voice in response to all the changes that are afoot in the area (changes that you can find out about on one of our excellent tours).

It reminds planners that the people who made the Wick so ‘fashionable’ are still there. For how long, nobody really knows; so come and see Hackney Wicked while you can. The future may be uncertain, but for now you’re guaranteed some great art this weekend.

See The Hackney Wall on this website, or see our tours here.