Neo-Victorian Cultures

Description

'Period Features: Space and Time in Three Neo-Victorian London Places' Is there such a thing as a neo-Victorian space? And, if so, is neo-Victorianism more likely to be found in the original Victorian building put to new uses, or in the modern purpose-built, playful imitation of a Victorian building? This paper uses three current London landmarks, located to the north and east of the city, to explore these questions. First is St Pancras Station, saved from demolition in the twentieth century only to be restored to its mid-Victorian pomp in the 2000s as a gateway to continental Europe, and now, perhaps, a space which resonates somewhat differently in the wake of the crisis in the Eurozone. Second is Wilton’s Music Hall, partially restored, gearing up for further work, and the distressed and dishevelled site of a series of neo-Victorian performances in recent years. Finally, there’s the Barbican-sponsored art installation, Dalston House, situated just around the corner from the new Arcola Theatre site. It’s an artwork by Leandro Erlich which reproduces the facade of a typical Victorian terraced house, but laid flat on the ground and underneath an angled mirror, so that visitors can appear to be sitting on the upstairs windowsill of the house, or dangling from its ledges. In different ways - and despite their apparent solidity – I argue that each of these spaces is temporary and in transition, and thus each directs us towards a consideration of time as well as space. Is there such a thing as a neo-Victorian space? And, if so, is neo-Victorianism more likely to be found in the original Victorian building put to new uses, or in the modern purpose-built, playful imitation of a Victorian building? This paper uses three current London landmarks, located to the north and east of the city, to explore these questions. First is St Pancras Station, saved from demolition in the twentieth century only to be restored to its mid-Victorian pomp in the 2000s as a gateway to continental Europe, and now, perhaps, a space which resonates somewhat differently in the wake of the crisis in the Eurozone. Second is Wilton’s Music Hall, partially restored, gearing up for further work, and the distressed and dishevelled site of a series of neo-Victorian performances in recent years. Finally, there’s the Barbican-sponsored art installation, Dalston House, situated just around the corner from the new Arcola Theatre site. It’s an artwork by Leandro Erlich which reproduces the facade of a typical Victorian terraced house, but laid flat on the ground and underneath an angled mirror, so that visitors can appear to be sitting on the upstairs windowsill of the house, or dangling from its ledges. In different ways - and despite their apparent solidity – I argue that each of these spaces is temporary and in transition, and thus each directs us towards a consideration of time as well as space.

Period	24 Jul 2013
Event type	Conference
Location	Liverpool, United KingdomShow on map