A new members’ club in the West End has eclipsed the strobe lights, street lights, and twinkling taxi signs to earn the distinction of its name – Lights of Soho (LoS). LoS runs on a principle of inclusivity rather than the exclusivity and is attracting the West End’s brightest young things. They can be seen working in the upstairs communal space during the day and raising glasses downstairs in the lounge by night.
At the moment, the upstairs of the venue has an exhibition by the writer and photographer NK Guy. After 16 years of documenting the clandestine festival that is Burning Man, Guy has obtained permission to exhibit a selection of 65,000- plus-strong collection of images from the event. The site of Burning Man, the Black Rock Desert, is 100 miles from Reno and lights years away from reality.
The festival is known as the biggest interactive art exhibit on earth yet remains somewhat cloistered due to its remote location in the desert of Nevada. Strict policies by the organisers have ensured that official photographs of the event are a rarity.
The opening of NK Guys’ exhibition was timed to coincide with the launch of The Art of Burning Man. The Taschen book is every vicarious festival goer’s dream come true. Featuring further photographs and writing by the Guy, the book offers one glimpse into the whimsical and (until now) ephemeral world of Burning Man.
Edward Shuster and Claudia Moseley, or Shuster and Moseley, extend the theme of site specific art to the downstairs area with their illuminated glass sculptures which manipulate natural and artificial light to create a secondary visual experience. The Gallery Manager, Louis called them “light paintings”, which encouraged the eye away from the artwork itself and on to the surroundings walls and other surfaces adorned with shadows. Other compelling pieces in the gallery include a luxury chess set by Purling London and the neon ‘Inferno’ sign by Rebecca Mason.
Whether one is a luminary hoping to join LoS or an interloper interested in the illuminating works, LoS on Brewer Street is the place to be.
by Yasmin Bilbeisi
Visit the Lights of Soho 35 Brewer Street, Soho, London W1F 0RX between now and September to see NK Guy’s illuminating exhibit.
Tel: +44 (0) 207 183 2003
Email: info@lightsofsoho.com
The Art of Burning Man is available from Taschen US$ 59.99