Regent’s Place welcomes MELT: A NEW EXHIBITION BRINGING ARTISTS BACK TO THE CITY

Hypha Studios (HS) and Creative Land Trust (CLT) have joined forces to present a new exhibition at Regent’s Place, as part of Frieze 2023, spotlighting the work of 32 exceptional artists and creatives who have flourished through the support of these visionary organisations.

In a city pulsating with creative energy, MELT shines a spotlight on the source of London’s artistic vibrancy. This is the inaugural exhibition at Hypha Studios’ brand-new central London location, Regent’s Place, as part of a three-year partnership with British Land.

Creative Land Trust was set up to acquire, preserve and protect long term affordable workspaces for artists, whereas Hypha Studios negotiates free short-term studio and exhibition space for artists in return for a public programme to benefit local communities.

Featured prominently are CLT’s brilliant studio holders from the Wallis Road site, including artists such as Shiori Akiba, Enej Gala, and Zarina Khan. Notably, the exhibition also presents CLT’s ambassadors – Adelaide Damoah, Haroon Mirza, and Emmanuel Unaji – united in the cause of ensuring artists have opportunities to thrive.

Further enriching the showcase are Hypha Studios’ own talent, including Margaret Ayres, Jon Kipps, and Kialy Tihngang. These artists have been granted invaluable free studio and exhibition space in London, a testament to the organisation’s commitment to fostering innovation.

British Land provides high quality space to a broad range of local organisations on an affordable basis as part of their commitment to create long-lasting positive impact on the communities they operate within. Regent’s Place, owned by British Land, is a fully managed campus including a mix of offices, retail and residential property and is expected to host a number of other exhibitions over the three-year period.
Simon Hepher-Davies, Asset Manager – Offices at British Land, said: “Creating affordable space is key to British Land’s mission to create thriving places at its campuses, including this initiative at Regent’s Place. We are looking forward to working with Hypha Studios and Creative Land Trust to provide space for local artists to flourish.”

Affordable creative spaces are necessary for our cities, towns and local communities to thrive, making better places that people want to live and be in, and as laboratories for research and development of the Creative Industries, which as a sector contribute £13bn to the UK economy each year.

The exhibition’s title, MELT, pays homage to the legendary FRIEZE exhibition curated by Damien Hirst in 1988 – a pivotal moment that echoes the current climate of creative evolution. Just as the Young British Artists emerged from that time, MELT raises poignant questions about the future of contemporary artists amid the wealth of unclaimed spaces. Creative Land Trust and Hypha Studios are aligned in their mission and provoke audiences to think about who and what will flourish when artists are afforded the space they deserve.
Gordon Seabright, Creative Land Trust CEO, said:
“Creative Land Trust was founded to secure long term affordable workspace for artists and makers in London. Already in our short life we’ve secured three buildings with space for as many as 250 creatives, with more to come. The UK’s creative industries are bigger than the automotive, aerospace, life sciences and oil & gas sectors combined, but we need to make sure there are places for artists to work if London and the UK are to remain global leaders for culture and creativity. That’s why Creative Land Trust is working hard to make space for art and we’re really excited to showcase just some of the work that’s been created by artists we’ve supported at MELT, part of this year’s Frieze.”