03/05/2022
PAID OPPORTUNITY:
Community Engagement Guides
If you're aged 19-24 and have experience of migration, or have generational relatives who experienced migration in their lifetime, we would love to hear from you!
29/04/2022
Minerva Residency Awarded to Ayesha Singh and Jyothidas KV.
The Minerva Residency is an opportunity for two artists to spend the month of July living and developing their practice in Van Gogh House. This year Ayesha and Jyothidas were chosen from a shortlist made by nominators based in India, and we would like to extend our thanks to all the nominators and artists we reached out to. Ayesha and Jyothidas were nominated by Prameya Art Foundation.
Thank you to our Collections Assistant Annie Mae Clear for putting together a reading list of Van Gogh's favourite books, with added context around reading in the 19th Century and books in Van Gogh's paintings. Image: Vincent van Gogh (1853 - 1890), Oleanders, Arles, August 1888, Oil on canvas, 60.3 x 73.7 cm, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
12/04/2022
Van Gogh House awarded
ICON Tru Vue Conservation
& Exhibition Grant
We are very lucky to have been awarded a grant through the Institute of Conservation's "Tru Vue Conservation & Exhibition Grant Scheme". As many of you know, we found lots of toys under our floorboards. These have featured heavily in the development of our education project 'Vincent's Treasures' and we are so delighted that they will finally be able to be on display. First step was having the objects conserved by Stephen Umpleby - they look great!
Find out about and take part in Roma's residency through her artist talk, our Open House weekend and through her Life Writing masterclass. Image: Roma Tearne, 'Archival Selection'.
01/04/2022
Did you live in North Brixton between 1963 and 1980?
Or know someone who did? We want to hear from you! The author and artist Roma Tearne will be staying at Van Gogh House throughout April and compiling a travelogue of the streets between Hackford Road and Vassall Road and invites the surrounding community to share their memories.
Get in touch ⟶
We are looking to get in touch with anyone who lived in this small area of North Brixton during the years 1963 to 1980. If this sounds like you, please get in touch! Email us at info@vangoghhouse.co.uk, send us a dm on social media or even post us a letter! Image: Roma Tearne
Through their proposal ‘Exercises for Sabotage’, artists Veerle Melis and Liza Prins will explore contemporary issues around labour and production. Finding precedent in the Luddites, 19th century textile workers who destroyed machinery and sabotaged production processes, Veerle and Liza will consider ways we might disrupt contemporary ‘hyper-productivity’.
This April, writer and artist Roma Tearne will be in Writer-in-Residence at Van Gogh House. Her 2010 book 'Brixton Beach' told the story of a young girl who's life is turned upside down by the Sri Lankan civil war. The book parallels the Roma's experiences, who lived in a house on Southey Road - just round the corner from us. We are delighted to have been awarded an Arts Council England Project Grant for Roma's residency. This is the first time we have received any Arts Council funding, so it feels like a big step for us!
Our March poster is by Feifei Zhou, as part of our year-long fundraiser On The Western Window Pane.
The Courtauld gallery is hosting the first ever exhibition devoted to Vincent Van Gogh’s self-portraits. Our Creative Director spoke about 'Van Gogh's London' with curator Karen Serres at the online event 'Open Courtauld Hour' on the 24th February. The lecture is available to watch online for free. Image: Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890), Self Portrait 1887. The Art Institute of Chicago. Creative Commons Zero CC0.
Performance takes place outside Van Gogh House 26th February 2022, 5pm. RSVP for free on our website
Our February poster is by Tom Lovelace, as part of our year-long fundraiser On The Western Window Pane.
We are pleased to announce a residency in early summer 2022, for a Dutch artist duo to stay at the Van Gogh House in London for one month. This opportunity has been supported by the Dutch Embassy in the United Kingdom, and draws a connection between our site in London and Vincent van Gogh’s homeland.
Happy New Year! We are delighted to share the January poster by Rosa-Johan Uddoh, as part of our year-long fundraiser On The Western Window Pane.
2021
Visit us over our Christmas weekend to receive exclusive offers on a mixture of jewellery, ceramics, homewares, books, artist editions and more. With plenty of unique gifts exclusive to Van Gogh House, there really is something for everyone!
Congratulations to the pupils at St. Mark's Primary School, Oval on the unveiling of three murals as part of the Vincent's Treasures project.
We are delighted to share the November poster by Will Harris and Aisha Farr, as part of our year-long fundraiser On The Western Window Pane.
Congratulations to Clare Charnley, the winner of Historic Houses’ 2021 Summer Art Competition, for her work, ‘Fingernails’. Our Co-Director Eleanor Wang sat on the panel of judges, who discussed each artwork submitted in depth before coming to a unanimous decision on a winner.
We are delighted to share the November poster by Will Harris and Aisha Farr, as part of our year-long fundraiser On The Western Window Pane.
22/10/2021
Reading list
Ten things that have been in, or around our life – definitely particular, and possibly trivial by Brian Griffiths and Frank Kent
Read More ⟶
To accompany the artists’ exhibition ‘Life and Its Most Trivial Particulars’, Brian Griffiths and Frank Kent have compiled a reading list. The artists have also chosen to pair each selection on their list with an anonymous quote, comment or review.
To celebrate our Autumn events series, author and art historian Willem-Jan Verlinden has contributed a series of texts for our website, covering topics from Vincent's love of literature, to his family and relationship with his sister Anna. This is the beginning of our online library.
01/10/2021
October poster
Black Text: A Covert Physical Manifestation in the Discursive Field by Katrina Palmer
Read More ⟶
We are delighted to share the October poster by Katrina Palmer, as part of our year-long fundraiser On The Western Window Pane.
We have curated a series of autumn events at the Van Gogh House with talks, workshops and events hosted by brilliant speakers, art historians and artists.
Our 2021 commission is now open, and visited by hundreds in our opening weekend as part of London Open House Festival!
We are delighted to share the September poster by Ye Funa, as part of our year-long fundraiser On The Western Window Pane.
We're very pleased to announce that we will be opening our doors to the public as part of Open House London Festival 2021 over the weekend of 4-5th September. Please note that although we expect tickets to book out very quickly, we will be releasing more tickets on the day, so don't be disheartened!
Our August poster is by Jordan Baseman and Frank Baseman, unveiled on 1st August 2021
As part of Allison Katz’ contribution to our On the Western Window Pane poster project, she has shared with us her husband Philip’s recipe for dressed crab.
Van Gogh House is pleased to announce 'Life and its most trivial particulars' by artists Brian Griffiths and Frank Kent, opening 4 September – 18 December 2021.
Van Gogh House and Minerva are pleased to announce the residents for the first edition of the Minerva Residency: Roy Claire Potter and Lilian Nejatpour. The Minerva Residency is an opportunity for two creative practitioners, an artist and a writer, to spend the month of August living and developing their practice in Van Gogh House, the Georgian terraced house in Brixton in which the eponymous artist once lived for a formative year in 1873-4.
Our June poster is by artist Allison Katz, unveiled on 1st July 2021
This month we visited Lesley Sharpe's London print studio to learn more about her poster, 'There are Lilacs, Hawthorns and Laburnums etc.,' currently on display in our front window for 'On the Western Window Pane.'
18/06/2021
Plant and Pigment Workshop with the Baytree Centre
We had a great day learning about plants and pigments with our resident artist Rachel Jones-Jones and local Brixton charity the Baytree Centre. Starting with how to make crayons from indigo pigment and soya bean wax, we learnt about how to modify marigold dye with copper and iron, as well as learning a bit about the young Vincent van Gogh.
01/06/2021
June Poster:
There are Lilacs, Hawthorns and Laburnums etc., by Lesley Sharpe
Read More ⟶
Our June poster is by artist Lesley Sharpe, unveiled on 1st June 2021
20/05/2021
Upcoming Artist Residents
We are very excited to announce that Hannah Cawley of Cawley Studio and Rachel Jones-Jones from Grymsdyke Farm will be undertaking a joint residency at Van Gogh House for two weeks from 31st May. During their stay, they’ll both be working on creating a permanent commission for the House, as well as running some workshops with the wonderful Baytree Centre, a social inclusion charity for women and girls based in the heart of Brixton.
Balaclava (+/-), 2019
Our May poster is by artist Madeleine Pledge, unveiled on 1st May 2021: International Workers' Day
22/04/2021
Opportunities
We are pleased to announce two opportunities at Van Gogh House:
Duty Manager (Part-time)
Deadline: midnight Sunday 9th May
Download Person Specification and Application Form
Volunteer Tour Guides
Deadline: 5pm Tuesday 11th May
Download Person Specification
Download Application Form
Vessel Head (no. 12) (2015) Inkjet print 44 X 37 cm © Brighid Lowe, courtesy of the artist
We are thrilled to announce that Van Gogh House is reopening for in person tours from 29 May. These first tours will be limited to 6 people in line with Government Covid safety guidance. From the end of June as restrictions are lifted, we will be offering an extended tour schedule so we can welcome even more visitors to the house.
Our inaugural poster is by artist and Associate Professor at the Slade (UCL), Brighid Lowe. The work is part of her existing series 'Vessel Heads'.
'On the Western Window Pane’ is a new year long fundraising project organised by the Van Gogh House, presenting 12 artist designed, limited edition posters in our front, West facing window. Curated by Benjamin Arthur Brown.
Tickets are now live for upcoming virtual workshops led by artists, drawing on Van Gogh's passions for nature and literature.
Despite the restrictions of the past year, our partnership with Oval Learning Cluster and Reay Primary School has really flourished. We are delighted to say that the results of these activities can now be shared with a much wider audience!
2020
Museum Shop Sunday is a campaign that highlights shops which play a vital role in helping arts, cultural, and heritage attractions to survive and thrive. Run by the Association for Cultural Enterprises UK, the campaign highlights the unique pieces and gifts available at the museums, galleries, libraries and other cultural venues around the country that are rooted in local communities and artisanal craftsmanship. It is a great way to practice a more sustainable way of shopping, as well as helping fellow artisan makers and cultural institutions sustain a living.
23/11/2020
Vincent’s Treasures
Mapping Workshop at Reay Primary School
Very happy that our in school education workshops can still take place! Janet from our team works closely with Lucy Hall, Art Teacher at Reay Primary School to deliver workshops as part of a project 'Vincent's Treasures' planned with Oval Learning Cluster. On this occasion we were leaning about maps and what they can tell us about the local area. Everyone very happy to be using ink pens and nibs again - this time learning how to draw as well as write! This project is supported by the Community Lottery Fund. Thank you Lucy Hall for the photos!
Van Gogh House are selling hand made, locally grown Christmas wreaths by South London family business Harts of Lee. Wreaths are made on a base of hand twisted vines, with a choice of traditional Evergreen or Blue-green foliage. Each one is unique!
1/11/2020
Due to UK Government Coronavirus guidance, our November tours will not be going ahead.
Sadly tours booked for the 28th November will no longer be able to take place. Tour vouchers can still be booked. Thank you for your support.
In October half term we hosted a group of young people from Angell Town Estate at Van Gogh House and our sister space San Mei Gallery. The group toured the House with Janet and listened to a talk given by artist Emily Moore in the gallery.
22/10/2020
Vincent’s Treasures
Workshop day at Reay Primary School
In October we were able to spend a day at Reay Primary school, teaching children about the buttons found under the floorboards at 87 Hackford Road, and trying to copy out the poem 'Autumn' by John Keats using ink and nibs, just like Vincent copied out for his brother Theo. Special thanks to Janet Currier, Lucy Hall and Rachel Carpenter for planning and facilitating. This was part of 'Vincent's Treasures', a project in partnership with Oval Learning Cluster and Reay Primary School.
We are very happy to announce that our monthly tours will restart in October 2020! We will be operating a policy of social distancing to keep everyone safe. Further details on our Tours page. Our guided tours offer visitors an opportunity to learn about 87 Hackford Road’s most famous tenant as well as the architecture, history, and future of the house. The tour begins at 87 Hackford Road and includes a short walk followed by a tour of the house’s interior. These tours are offered on the last Saturday of every month and last roughly an hour and fifteen minutes. Tours cost £12 + booking fees.
Join Livia Wang and Janet Currier on a specially crafted virtual tour of the Van Gogh House. Made collaboratively, the tour will incorporate audio recordings made by our volunteers during lock down, exploring the spaces of the house through its collections and architectural features. This tour is free and will take place on Zoom, with links sent out to registered guests on the day of the tour.
We are very glad to be participating in Open House London again, and are working hard to make this experience safe for both our visitors, staff and volunteers. In order to follow government health guidance about social distancing, we are limiting the places this year to 6 visitors per hour. Volunteers will be on hand to ensure social distancing when waiting outside outside the property and while inside the house. Visits are scheduled on the hour from 11 - 5 pm (last entry at 4pm). We ask that you pre-book using Eventbrite.
25/08/2020
New series of photographs by Isabelle Young
Shown here: ‘Figures in Gardens’ 2020
C-type print
26 x 17.2 cm
Signed edition of 7 (Plus 2 APs)
Purchase Here ⟶
Perspective and narrative positioned within the confinement of architecture are central to Isabelle Young’s work. Windows do not lead straight onto life but divide space to create a continuous sense of ambiguity. Young’s own autobiography as a third-generation Italian, born in London, also shapes her particular way of seeing and is therefore the framework to her practice. All her work is shot on film and she is continually drawn to analogue photography due to its privacy.
25/07/2020
Vincent’s Treasures gets funding!
We are so pleased that 'Vincent's Treasures' a project we will carry out in partnership with Oval Learning Cluster and Reay Primary School has been awarded funding by the Lottery Community Fund. This was based on a number of trial workshops we ran earlier in the year, with both teachers and children. This will mean we will be able to carry out more arts and cultural activities both within the curriculum and in our local community! Here is a photo of a trial session we ran, discussing the 150 year old toys we found under the floorboards.
04/07/2020
‘Clothed in Air’ by Liz Middleton, Limited Edition
Somerset Velvet 250gsm paper on Everest mount board
25.5 cm x 20.5 cm
Signed limited edition of 30
Purchase Here ⟶
'Clothed in air, the hills become blue' is a quote from Living Mountain by Nan Shepherd, who spent her life exploring and engaging with Cairngorm mountain. Sculptor and stone letter carver Liz Middleton felt a connection between Nan Shepherd's words and Van Gogh's paintings through their shared intense observation of landscape, producing this delicate piece now available in our shop.
04/07/2020
‘Creeper’ by Kate Bright, Limited Edition
Giclée print on Hahnemühle German Etching 310gsm
42 x 46 cm
Signed limited edition of 30
Purchase Here ⟶
A limited edition print of 'Creeper', a painting by Kate Bright is now available to purchase, with 10% of sales will go to local charity The Gaia Centre, Lambeth.
Gift a Van Gogh experience for two in South London! Van Gogh House and Café Van Gogh have come together to offer a joint gift voucher, for two places on a guided tour of Van Gogh’s London lodgings and a £30 to spend at his namesake café (roughly a meal and a drink for two). Café Van Gogh is an award-winning vegan restaurant that operates as a not for profit social enterprise, offering on-the-job training and paid employment for people who face additional challenges in life. Eat well under a painted starry night sky!
At the Crossroads with Vincent is an invitation for those who are self-isolating and in lockdown to use their time to exercise as a simple act of meditative participation in an art piece by listening to the audio walk on their own. You will be transported to inner landscapes and the world of Van Gogh looking at the city from the perspective of mental health. This is a great way to be outside, walk your neighbourhood alone, and feel gently guided. These 45 minutes will transport you and hopefully offer an relief from the times we are living in.
To celebrate Van Gogh's birthday, we are launching new vouchers for our Van Gogh House Tours available to buy through our online shop. To support us, please consider buying your tour voucher now - they can be redeemed for up to 18 months. © Thomas Parsons, Van Gogh House London, 2019.
30/03/2020
Happy Birthday Vincent!
Today is Van Gogh’s 167th birthday! We are also taking this chance to wish a very happy 7th birthday to our friends at Van Gogh Walk - opened on this day in 2013. This is a photo of the Vincent impersonator hired for the day, taking a wander round our house... © Livia Wang, Van Gogh House London, 2019.
17/03/2020
Coronavirus Update
Following the most recent government advice about the coronavirus pandemic and in order to protect the health of our visitors, staff and volunteers, we have taken the decision to cancel our tours for March and April. We apologise for the inconvenience and for any disappointment, but given the seriousness of the situation we would not want to put anyone at risk. We hope that you will understand and book a tour later on in the year with us. If you have already booked a tour then you will have received an e mail from us offering a refund or opportunity to rebook. Many thanks from , all at Van Gogh House London © Thomas Parsons, Van Gogh House London, 2019.
On the 12th February, to a sold out audience, we hosted Kate Bright, who spoke about her work and exhibition, 'Unreliable Biographers'. It was a warm, intimate way to draw the show to a close. Thank you to all to came. © Livia Wang, Van Gogh House London, 2019.
22/01/2020
Reay School Colour Workshop
In January we hosted our first workshop, in collaboration with Reay Primary School on Hackford Road. Led by the brilliant art teacher Lucy Hall, the purpose of the workshop was to guide primary school teachers in how to deliver lessons in colour. Our current exhibition 'Deadhead' was the perfect focus. Artist Kate Bright was able to come and speak about her own use of colour, a highlight of the evening. We are very happy to be testing out more community based workshops in the next few months, watch this space! © Livia Wang, Van Gogh House London, 2019
2019
The Van Gogh House is thrilled to announce that our next exhibition is now open to the public. "Deadhead" features the work of artist Kate Bright, whose large, vivid paintings and ceramic and bronze sculptures are the perfect antidote for the cold winter months ahead. The exhibition is open every Sunday from 2-5pm (except December 22 and 29)and runs until February 16th 2020. © Keranie Theodosiou, Van Gogh House London, 2019.
13/11/2019
Royal Academy
Patrons Visit
The Van Gogh House welcomed Royal Academy Patrons to 87 Hackford Road, where new RA Chief Executive Axel Rüger (previously the Director of the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam) gave a talk about Van Gogh's experience in London. The Van Gogh House's Creative Director Livia Wang also shared the story of the house's renovation and mission with the patrons. © Keranie Theodosiou, Van Gogh House London, 2019.
10/11/2019
Timeshapes
In partnership with the Royal Drawing School, our first residents Lu Xiaoshuai and Wei Zhen are exhibiting work they have created during their one month residency at the Van Gogh House (London) and Dumfries House (Scotland). Timeshapes is open at the San Mei Gallery until November 2022. © Keranie Theodosiou, Van Gogh House London, 2019.
02/10/2019
Van Gogh House
Website
We're excited to share our new website for Van Gogh House London, designed and developed with Glyph. Our logo is inspired by the blue plaque unveiled in 1973 and created by our good friends, designers Joe Mercer and Katy Angus. © Van Gogh House London, 2019.
10/07/2019
Pulp Rocket Theatre
Vincent’s Brixton
We are excited to be working with Pulp Rocket Theatre who are currently in rehearsals for their production 'Vincent's Brixton' which will be staged at Hackford Road July 16-21. Weaving together Van Gogh’s letters with scenes from Nicholas Wright’s acclaimed play 'Vincent In Brixton' originally set at Hackford Road, Pulp Rocket Theatre’s site-specific production is a thought-provoking imagining of Van Gogh’s relationship with the Loyers and his family, and an intimate portrayal of the artist’s time in London. © Claire Zhao, Van Gogh House London, 2019.
01/06/2019
Unreliable Biographers
by Saskia Olde Wolbers
The Van Gogh House London is delighted to announce its first exhibition since its renovation. Unreliable Biographers is a solo show by artist and filmmaker Saskia Olde Wolbers, bringing together a body of work that directly responds to the legacy of Hackford Road. The exhibition will run throughout the month of June and will be open every Sunday from 2-5pm. © Saskia Olde Wolbers, 2015.
02/05/2019
Van Gogh in Europe Visit
The Van Gogh House welcomed Van Gogh Europe – a collective of museums, institutions, and landmarks across Europe affiliated with Van Gogh – to its sister space the San Mei Gallery this week. In addition to discussing exciting developments for the upcoming year, the visit also included tours of 87 Hackford Road led by our volunteer tour guides. © Claire Zhao, Van Gogh House London, 2019.
During the renovation, several artefacts concealed within the floorboards and attic were uncovered by our contractors, Triskele Conservation. Leading Van Gogh expert Martin Bailey (pictured left with our Director) announced these findings in his article published in The Art Newspaper. Read the article to find out more about the discoveries, which include a prayer book, the house's insurance documents, and a watercolour sketch of flowers. © Claire Zhao, Van Gogh House London, 2019.
