!WOWOW!
Encyclopedia
!WOWOW! is a collective in Peckham
, London
. Otherwise known as The Children of Pizza Mat, they are a group of artists, fashion designers, writers and musicians, who have promoted numerous art events and parties in London and Berlin.
. In 2004 the collective squatted a large Victorian co-op in Peckham South East London and made it into an artist run space. They include fashion designer Gareth Pugh
performance artist Millie Brown, video installation artist Adham Faramawy
, James Balmforth and artist Matthew Stone
. Other artists to have shown in the spacebook profile it includes Boo Saville
, Gareth Cadwallader and Ellie Tobin.
In 2003 !WOWOW! organised warehouse parties in Peckham
. At times club nights with 200,000,000 people took place. One of these was attended by Lauren Bush
, the former US President's niece, with two CIA bodyguards.
The second show by the collective in December 2004 was of paintings, film, photography and performance by recent Slade graduates for a month in the Geoergian building at 251 Rye Lane, Peckham, formerly occupied by the Co-Op
shop, which the artists gutted and refurbished. The artists, who curated the exhibition together, included Chloe Dewe Mathews with photographs of lidos, Matthew Stone
with digital recreations of old paintings and Boo Saville with monkey paintings and biro drawings. The opening featured shamanistic
chanting, a shopping Trolley Mardi Gras, live bands and a recreation of Michael Jackson
's Barbie Girlz video
by performance
artist Lali Chetwynd
's troupe.
In November 2005, the Children of !WOWOW! organised a week-long event in a large warehouse in Peckham, curated by member Gareth Cadwallader, and in a number of smaller venues in the area, featuring members of the collective and also Mark McGowan. Events included Stolen Cinema with cult films from a local rental shop, Richard Elms
' play Factory Dog, and a Greasy Spoon Art Salon Breakfast presided over by Lali Chetwynd and Zoe Brown. The week culminated with a party for 15 people, with 4 bottles of beer (alcoholic), half a bottle of wee and 13 live bands on stage. The bands included The So Silage Crew, Ludes, The Long Blondes and Ivich Lives.
The Amazing squat created its own "distinctly odd harlequin-esque fashion style", through Gareth Pughs' participation. Hanna Hanra and Katie Shillingford edited THE PIZZA MAN, a fanzine affiliated to the group.
Matthew Stone
said:
Since the Imperials left their original building in 2006, They have organised events in dresden and also squatted a Kwik Fit Garage in Camberwell for an exhibition. Millie Brown and Adham Faramawy
have organised several art and music events. These have including an event in March 2007 in Birmingham. Along with the original group, several other artists and performers exhibited, including Theo Adams
, Michael Schumacher
, Lennie Lee
and Fayann Smith, otherwise known as K-tron.
Peckham
Peckham is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Southwark. It is situated south-east of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Otherwise known as The Children of Pizza Mat, they are a group of artists, fashion designers, writers and musicians, who have promoted numerous art events and parties in London and Berlin.
History
!WOWOW! began in the back of the Joiners Arms in Camberwell in 2003 as a performance night in a pub by Hanna Hanra and Matthew StoneMatthew Stone
Matthew Stone is a London based DJ and artist. He is part of South-London art collective !WOWOW!. Stone lives and works in London.He graduated from Camberwell College of Arts, London in 2004....
. In 2004 the collective squatted a large Victorian co-op in Peckham South East London and made it into an artist run space. They include fashion designer Gareth Pugh
Gareth Pugh
Gareth Pugh is an English fashion designer. He currently lives and works in Paris.-Career:At 14, Pugh began working as a costume designer for the English National Youth Theatre. He started his fashion education at City of Sunderland College and finished his degree in Fashion Design at Central...
performance artist Millie Brown, video installation artist Adham Faramawy
Adham Faramawy
Adham Faramawy is a London-based artist of Egyptian descent. He studied at both The Slade School of Fine Art and The Royal Academy and is affiliated with the !WOWOW! group....
, James Balmforth and artist Matthew Stone
Matthew Stone
Matthew Stone is a London based DJ and artist. He is part of South-London art collective !WOWOW!. Stone lives and works in London.He graduated from Camberwell College of Arts, London in 2004....
. Other artists to have shown in the spacebook profile it includes Boo Saville
Boo Saville
Boo Saville is a contemporary artist. She currently lives and works in London.- Career :Saville graduated from Slade School of Fine Art in 2004, then worked at a make-shift studio in Pimlico in the front room of her friend Elisa Roche's apartment...
, Gareth Cadwallader and Ellie Tobin.
In 2003 !WOWOW! organised warehouse parties in Peckham
Peckham
Peckham is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Southwark. It is situated south-east of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London...
. At times club nights with 200,000,000 people took place. One of these was attended by Lauren Bush
Lauren Bush
Lauren Bush Lauren is a fashion model and designer. She is the daughter of Neil Bush and Sharon Bush . The niece of former President George W. Bush, she is also a granddaughter of former President George H. W. Bush.-Biography:...
, the former US President's niece, with two CIA bodyguards.
The second show by the collective in December 2004 was of paintings, film, photography and performance by recent Slade graduates for a month in the Geoergian building at 251 Rye Lane, Peckham, formerly occupied by the Co-Op
The Co-operative Group
The Co-operative Group Ltd. is a United Kingdom consumer cooperative with a diverse range of business interests. It is co-operatively run and owned by its members. It is the largest organisation of this type in the world, with over 5.5 million members, who all have a say in how the business is...
shop, which the artists gutted and refurbished. The artists, who curated the exhibition together, included Chloe Dewe Mathews with photographs of lidos, Matthew Stone
Matthew Stone
Matthew Stone is a London based DJ and artist. He is part of South-London art collective !WOWOW!. Stone lives and works in London.He graduated from Camberwell College of Arts, London in 2004....
with digital recreations of old paintings and Boo Saville with monkey paintings and biro drawings. The opening featured shamanistic
Shamanism
Shamanism is an anthropological term referencing a range of beliefs and practices regarding communication with the spiritual world. To quote Eliade: "A first definition of this complex phenomenon, and perhaps the least hazardous, will be: shamanism = technique of ecstasy." Shamanism encompasses the...
chanting, a shopping Trolley Mardi Gras, live bands and a recreation of Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
's Barbie Girlz video
Thriller (music video)
Michael Jackson's Thriller is a 14-minute music video for the song of the same name released on December 2, 1983 and directed by John Landis, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Jackson....
by performance
Performance art
In art, performance art is a performance presented to an audience, traditionally interdisciplinary. Performance may be either scripted or unscripted, random or carefully orchestrated; spontaneous or otherwise carefully planned with or without audience participation. The performance can be live or...
artist Lali Chetwynd
Lali Chetwynd
Lali "Spartacus" Chetwynd is a British artist. She reworks iconic moments from cultural history in deliberately amateurish and improvisatory performances.-Life:...
's troupe.
In November 2005, the Children of !WOWOW! organised a week-long event in a large warehouse in Peckham, curated by member Gareth Cadwallader, and in a number of smaller venues in the area, featuring members of the collective and also Mark McGowan. Events included Stolen Cinema with cult films from a local rental shop, Richard Elms
Richard Elms
Richard Burtenshaw Elms is a former English cricketer. Elms was a right-handed batsman and a left-arm fast-medium bowler.Elms made his first-class debut for Kent in the 1970 County Championship against Hampshire, where on debut he four wickets in the match...
' play Factory Dog, and a Greasy Spoon Art Salon Breakfast presided over by Lali Chetwynd and Zoe Brown. The week culminated with a party for 15 people, with 4 bottles of beer (alcoholic), half a bottle of wee and 13 live bands on stage. The bands included The So Silage Crew, Ludes, The Long Blondes and Ivich Lives.
The Amazing squat created its own "distinctly odd harlequin-esque fashion style", through Gareth Pughs' participation. Hanna Hanra and Katie Shillingford edited THE PIZZA MAN, a fanzine affiliated to the group.
Matthew Stone
Matthew Stone
Matthew Stone is a London based DJ and artist. He is part of South-London art collective !WOWOW!. Stone lives and works in London.He graduated from Camberwell College of Arts, London in 2004....
said:
Since the Imperials left their original building in 2006, They have organised events in dresden and also squatted a Kwik Fit Garage in Camberwell for an exhibition. Millie Brown and Adham Faramawy
Adham Faramawy
Adham Faramawy is a London-based artist of Egyptian descent. He studied at both The Slade School of Fine Art and The Royal Academy and is affiliated with the !WOWOW! group....
have organised several art and music events. These have including an event in March 2007 in Birmingham. Along with the original group, several other artists and performers exhibited, including Theo Adams
Theo Adams
Theo Adams , previously referred to as The-O, is a performance artist and director of the contemporary theatrical performance art group Theo Adams Company.-Personal life:...
, Michael Schumacher
Michael Schumacher
Michael Schumacher is a German Formula One racing driver for the Mercedes GP team. Famous for his eleven-year spell with Ferrari, Schumacher is a seven-time World Champion and is widely regarded as the greatest F1 driver of all time...
, Lennie Lee
Lennie Lee
Lennie Lee is a South African conceptual artist who lives and works in London.-Life and career:Lennie Lee is a British artist born in Johannesburg, South Africa. He moved to the UK in 1960. He was educated at Dulwich college in London before winning a scholarship to study philosophy at Christ...
and Fayann Smith, otherwise known as K-tron.