{"id":323797,"date":"2025-08-07T00:00:23","date_gmt":"2025-08-07T00:00:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/323797\/"},"modified":"2025-08-07T00:00:23","modified_gmt":"2025-08-07T00:00:23","slug":"in-london-lucy-sparrow-creates-bourdon-street-chippy-entirely-in-felt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/323797\/","title":{"rendered":"in london, lucy sparrow creates bourdon street chippy entirely in felt"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>a familiar english staple, reimagined in felt<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.designboom.com\/tag\/lucy-sparrow\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Lucy Sparrow<\/strong><\/a>\u2019s latest installation, Bourdon Street Chippy, transforms the Lyndsey Ingram Gallery in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.designboom.com\/tag\/architecture-in-london\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>London<\/strong><\/a> into a fully immersive <a href=\"https:\/\/www.designboom.com\/tag\/food-art\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>fish and chip<\/strong><\/a> shop rendered entirely in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.designboom.com\/tag\/textile-and-fabric-art\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>felt<\/strong><\/a>. Open through September 14th, 2025, the project continues Sparrow\u2019s exploration of everyday environments through soft sculpture, creating a spatial experience and material presence.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.designboom.com\/tag\/exhibitions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>exhibition<\/strong><\/a> occupies the gallery\u2019s rooms with a clear intent to emulate the structure and ambiance of a working chippy. From the banquette seating to the framed portraits on the walls, each element is conceived with a distinct attention to layout and proportion. The familiar counter lends a functional threshold between visitor and vendor, while the seating area encourages visitors to linger, treating the project as both a gallery and social space.<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1148863 size-full lazyload\" bad-src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" alt=\"lucy sparrow bourdon chippy\" width=\"818\" height=\"546\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/bourdon-street-chippy-lucy-sparrow-designboom-01.jpg\"  data- loading=\"lazy\"\/><br \/>images \u00a9 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/lucy.emms\/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Lucy Emms<\/a> (unless otherwise stated)<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>lucy sparrow exhibits her command of the material<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>At the heart of the Bourdon Street Chippy installation is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sewyoursoul.co.uk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>artist<\/strong><\/a> Lucy Sparrow\u2019s command of material translation. Over 65,000 hand-crafted felt pieces articulate every surface, container, and consumable object within the chippy. What emerges is a material language that captures the texture of linoleum flooring, the gloss of laminated menus, and the sheen of deep-fried food through stitch and shape. Even the chips, with fifteen distinct cuts in five different tones, are organized with the rigor of typological study.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The spatial layout reflects the hierarchical clarity of a traditional takeaway. Circulation paths are defined by counters, queues, and bench seating, while sightlines are organized around key objects: a felt fryer, hand-sewn condiment dispensers, and signage arranged with unified graphics.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1148864 size-full lazyload\" bad-src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" alt=\"lucy sparrow bourdon chippy\" width=\"818\" height=\"654\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/bourdon-street-chippy-lucy-sparrow-designboom-02.jpg\"  data- loading=\"lazy\"\/><br \/>Lucy Sparrow transforms Lyndsey Ingram Gallery into a fully immersive felt fish and chip shop<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>the interactive bourdon street chippy<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Lucy Sparrow herself is present at Bourdon Street Chippy five days a week, reinforcing the installation\u2019s interactivity. Her participation blurs the boundary between artist and vendor, and between object and performance. \u2018The familiarity of these spaces disarms the viewer,\u2019 <strong>Sparrow explains.<\/strong> \u2018It\u2019s a way of getting people to let their guard down.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The choice of a chippy, as opposed to her previously explored subjects including a supermarket or pharmacy, adds a more intimate layer to the work. \u2018My relationship with food has always influenced my art,\u2019 <strong>she continues.<\/strong> \u2018Over time, I came to understand that my practice had become a way to manage difficult emotions.\u2019 In this sense, Bourdon Street Chippy operates as both a personal artifact and a public setting.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1148865 size-full lazyload\" bad-src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" alt=\"lucy sparrow bourdon chippy\" width=\"818\" height=\"509\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/bourdon-street-chippy-lucy-sparrow-designboom-03.jpg\"  data- loading=\"lazy\"\/><br \/>Bourdon Street Chippy recreates a familiar high street space<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In bringing a High Street staple into the controlled conditions of a commercial gallery, the installation invites questions about access, nostalgia, and gentrification. The gallery\u2019s polished context contrasts with the working-class origins of the fish and chip shop, yet the installation\u2019s warmth and humor hold space for both critique and affection.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u2018Lucy is one of the most important and meaningful artists of her generation,\u2019<strong> says gallerist Lyndsey Ingram.<\/strong> \u2018Her work blurs the lines between performance and installation art, all in her distinctive felt language.\u2019 The gallery\u2019s transformation is comprehensive as every surface and volume supports the illusion.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1148867 size-full lazyload\" bad-src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" alt=\"lucy sparrow bourdon chippy\" width=\"818\" height=\"537\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/bourdon-street-chippy-lucy-sparrow-designboom-04.jpg\"  data- loading=\"lazy\"\/><br \/>visitors navigate a fabric-rendered takeaway complete with counters banquettes and signage<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1148868 size-full lazyload\" bad-src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" alt=\"lucy sparrow bourdon chippy\" width=\"818\" height=\"514\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/bourdon-street-chippy-lucy-sparrow-designboom-05.jpg\"  data- loading=\"lazy\"\/><br \/>the installation blends sculpture and performance within a curated spatial framework<\/p>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"a familiar english staple, reimagined in felt \u00a0 Lucy Sparrow\u2019s latest installation, Bourdon Street Chippy, transforms the Lyndsey&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":323798,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3939],"tags":[65844,7530,4021,4020,4022,77,4845,79925,117000,11168,117001,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-323797","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-arts-and-design","8":"tag-architecture-in-london","9":"tag-architecture-in-the-uk","10":"tag-arts","11":"tag-arts-and-design","12":"tag-design","13":"tag-entertainment","14":"tag-exhibitions","15":"tag-food-art","16":"tag-lucy-sparrow","17":"tag-public-art","18":"tag-textile-and-fabric-art","19":"tag-uk","20":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114984545626929750","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/323797","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=323797"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/323797\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/323798"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=323797"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=323797"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=323797"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}