The Vinyl Factory’s Reverb

Within the labyrinth of concrete corridors set beneath 180 studios, The Vinyl Factory showcases collaborations from the last 20 years and celebrates the intersection between art and sound through the works of over 100 artists and musicians.

The exhibition begins by inviting viewers to sit back and indulge in Stan Douglas’ incredible Luanda-Kinshasa (2013) video that depicts a fictional 1970s jazz funk band during a jam session in a set that mimics the legendary Colombia Records studio “The Church”. The film has a 6 hour playtime which might seem out of bounds especially for the first installation but make no mistake, after the first 10 minutes you will find yourself with rationale as to how you can just stay and continue watching the piece in its entirety for the night. We are later presented with another Stan Douglas work “ISDN” (2022) a two-channel installation presenting a cross-continental cultural collaboration between two music collectives, one in London and the other in Cairo again an unfathomable length of 1523 days 17 hours 52 minutes. In proximity to the works of Jeremy Deller’s “Everybody in the Place, An Incomplete History of Britain 1984 – 1992” (2018), Jenn Nrkiru’s “Black to Techno” (2019) and Cecilia Bengolea’s “Shelly Belly Inna real life” (2020) it is evident that unless already experienced prior to the exhibition, you will have a strong desire to revisit and understand these pieces to their utmost when you leave (probably not ISDN).

Shorter films include Julianknxx’s “Untitled (Ol Bodi Na Sta)” (2024) and Gabriel Moses’ “Ijó” (2023) which both explore the poetics of everyday life within movement and dance. The two don’t seem to have as intrinsically obvious a link to the theme as the majority of the works yet still hold their place well within the showcase. Other video works include William Kentridge’s “Second-Hand Reading” (2013) and Khalil Joseph’s on going project on conceptual journalism “BLKNWS” (2018-present). 

Harmoniously centred within the showcase, Ben Kelly (Designer of The Hacienda) welcomes us with an installation featuring a selection of 100 records pressed and released by The Vinyl Factory between 2009-2024. The collection includes pieces from Massive Attack to Graces Jones, Yussef Dayes to Marina Abramovic and so on, it is a phenomenal representation of how The Vinyl Factory continue to stand at the forefront of cultivating relationships between artists and musicians and naturally places you in despair at which you will be adding to your own collection.

Throughout the exhibition we are presented with other brilliant site specific installations such as Virgil Albloh’s “12-inch Voices” (2019); Carterina Barbieri’s with Ruben Spini “Vigil 2.0” (2024) and Hito Steyeryl “This is the Future” (2019). There are fascinating interactive moments including Carsten Nicolai’s “Bausatz Noto” (1998) which gives people an opportunity to play with four Technics SL-1210 turntables integrated into a table paired with brightly coloured vinyl that have 12 endless grooves to create ever changing combinations and the keepsake you are allowed to take from Es Devlin’s “Screenshare” (2024) by removing a page from the screen after the film. The new sonic installation by Theaster Gates “Amplified” (2024) stands strong yet seems to lack its true purpose during the day and is easily graced by many however plans for live performances and talks by night on the stage have generated excitement to return at a later date.

In a simple grey room at the final turn before you exit, you are asked to remove your footwear and are appropriately navigated into Devon Turnbull’s Hi-Fi Listening Room Dream No.1 (2022). A shrine to an audiophile and in its purest form as described it is an “acoustic experience dedicated to the act of listening”. It’s a perfect way to meditate and embrace all that you have just absorbed however it blatant that it just impossible to see and experience everything in one visit. It either calls for a second date or you simply spend more time with works that resonate with you at the time. Either way it is a brilliantly curated show by The Vinyl Factory and the space at 180 studios continues to intrigue in its complexity and transformative capabilities.