Projects

Following Office of Experiments' Cold War Legacy in the South - Secrecy and Technology bus tour during the Dark Places exhibition in 2010, and the Experimental Ruins workshop at UCL, OOE returns with a new critical excursion - Experimental Ruins: The London Orbital. This new OOE project will explore areas dotted around outer London - often in improbable, underground or unremarkable suburban settings – where scientific research institutions are or have in the recent past been pushing the frontiers of investigation.  The project will focus on interrogation of the private and public imagination seen through the city's debris of occupation.

The fascinating history and geography of post-1945 scientific research and testing facilities and spaces created to house technological advances were often developed around the periphery of the Capital.  These uncharted parts of our post-war heritage are remarkably under-explored and face threats of redevelopment and loss, this collaboration with London Archaeological Archive and Research Centre will record outer London's Experimental Ruins.

This participatory programme will encourage the research and exploration of ‘hidden’ science and technology sites and laboratories by artists, urban archaeologists and local communities to consider the history, culture, geography, landscape, architecture and flora of these sites and their buildings. OOE will soon be recruiting volunteers to take part in the The London Orbital fieldwork.  To register your interest please email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) we will be in touch during May to outline opportunities for participation and attendance.  There will be limited places on July's pilot project tour but we hope to offer more opportunities to take part in Experimental Ruins later in the year.

Experimental Ruins is a long-term project lead by Office of Experiments' Neal White (NW) and Steve Rowell (SR), to date activities have included events in the South West - Secrecy and Technology (NW & SR), Falmouth Convention (SR) and Secrets of Portland (NW)) and the North of the UK (Newcastle and Northumberland (SR)).  Find out more at the OOE's Field Users Guide to Dark Places website - South Edition.

Collaborators websites

Office of Experiments

Field Users Guide to Dark Places - South Edition

London Archaeological Archive and Research Centre

Supported by

The London Orbital is supported by the National Lottery through the Heritage Lottery Fund (logo to follow)