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UVA – Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2013, designed by Sou Fujimoto
United Visual Artists Celebrate 10 Years with the
Serpentine Gallery & Manchester International Festival
United Visual Artists mark their 10th
anniversary with two landmark projects that
exemplify and celebrate their collaborative and
multi-disciplinary approach.
This month their work takes form as an
intervention with the Serpentine Gallery
Pavilion 2013, designed by Sou Fujimoto, for
The Summer Party in collaboration with My
Beautiful City.
Also marking the decade of innovation, UVA
will be reuniting with early collaborative
partners Massive Attack who have this year
been paired with Adam Curtis for a major
commission taking place as part of Manchester
International Festival, Ruhrtriennale and
the programme at Park Avenue Armory, New
York.
Serpentine Summer Party
On the evening of 26th June, UVA, in
collaboration with My Beautiful City,
transformed Sou Fujimoto’s Pavilion, bringing
the cloud-like structure to life with an electrical
storm.
UVA take inspiration from the transparent,
undefined attributes of the pavilion, which
changes form depending on perspective,
shifting as your eyes travel across it.
Their performative installation aims to make
the architecture “breathe”, awakening a
character and energy, seemingly from within.
For this piece UVA reference their past works
which, similar to Fujimoto’s, rely on geometric
foundations and interests.
One reference could be J.M.W. Turner’s
paintings, which rather than being
representative evoke the sensation of an
overwhelming natural phenomenon. UVA’s
transformation aims to capture the essence of
being inside an electrical storm, exploring the
similarities between what is digital: electronic
and the awe-inspiring natural world.
For further information, press, image or interview requests please contact: Ché Zara Blomfield
By email: che@uva.co.uk or by phone: UK +44(0)7512150743 & DE +49(0)1798076072

UVA – Volume, 2006 - V&A Museum
Manchester International Festival
Robert Del Naja, Massive Attack and Adam Curtis
This will be the 10th year UVA collaborate with
Robert Del Naja and Massive Attack.
For Manchester International Festival (4-7 &
10-13 July) a collaboration between Robert
Del Naja, Massive Attack and Adam Curtis will
form the central commission, it will then tour to
Ruhrtriennale (29-31 August) and Park Avenue
Armory (28-30 September & 2-4 October).
UVA are working with Robert Del Naja and
Adam Curtis to continue Massive Attack’s
interest in an often politicised storytelling.
The concept “the power of illusion and the
illusion of power”, will be adapted both literally
and metaphorically by UVA’s use of screens to
display both fantasy and fact which will offer
multiple stories and “possible endings”.
UVA express their interest in evoking a sense
of presence, bringing life to structures through
mediums of code, light, sound, and in this case
moving image.
Info & Press Contacts
Manchester International Festival
www.mif.co.uk
7pm, 4-7 & 10-13 July
Mayfield Depot, Fairfield Street
Manchester M1 2QF
Booking: 0844 375 2013
Press contacts:
Nadja Coyne - nadja.coyne@mif.co.uk
Julia Gregg - julia.gregg@mif.co.uk
Ruhrtriennale
www.ruhrtriennale.de/en
8pm, 29-31 August
Emscherstraße 71
47137 Duisburg-Meiderich
Press contacts:
Hendrik von Boxberg / Sarah Kaes
+ 49 209 6050 7137 presse@ruhrtriennale.de
Park Avenue Armory
www.armoryonpark.org
8pm, 28-30 September & 2-4 October
643 Park Avenue New York, NY 10065
Press contact:
Julia Kirchhausen, Resnicow Schroeder
+1 212-671-5161 / +1 917-453-8386
For further information, press, image or interview requests please contact: Ché Zara Blomfield
By email: che@uva.co.uk or by phone: UK +44(0)7512150743 & DE +49(0)1798076072

UVA – Fragment, 2013
UVA Biography
United Visual Artists (UVA) are an art practice
based in London, founded in 2003. Their work
combines disciplines of sculpture, architecture,
live art and installation.
Their open approach to collaboration and
diverse backgrounds encourage and inspire an
exploration into new fields of artistic production.
UVA’s work is often positioned between passive
and active engagement, this is encouraged by
their interest in evoking a sense of presence,
or in their large, collectively experienced
installations: communion.
‘Complex systems’ which include topics of
Collective behaviour, Networks, Evolution &
Adaption and Pattern formation, have a strong
influence on UVA’s practice, these themes,
which occur in nature, are explored in their
relation to similar complexities in technology.
UVA are represented by Gazelli Art House,
London where their work Continuum is
currently being exhibited until 20th June.
Exhibitions & Commissions
UVA’s work has been exhibited in cities
worldwide including; Barcelona, Beijing, Berlin,
Hong Kong, Melbourne, New York, Paris, Sao
Paolo, St Petersburg, Taipei and Tokyo.
They have been commissioned by; Artwise
Curators, The Creators Project, La Gaite
Lyrique, Madison Square Garden, National
Maritime Museum, Opera North, Royal
Academy of Arts, Tate Modern Turbine Hall,
Victoria & Albert Museum and YCAM in Japan
and exhibited at; South Bank Centre, Wellcome
Collection, Durham Cathedral, Riflemaker,
Gazelli Art House and The British Library.
Permanent installations include; Canopy at
Maple Leaf Square building in Toronto and
Passage, Combe Down Tunnel in Bath.
UVA have received awards for several works
including; Creative Review Annual ‘Best in
Book’, 2011 for Speed of Light, Prix Arts
Electronica ‘Distinction’ in 2010 for Chorus and
the D&AD ‘Yellow Pencil’ in 2007 for Volume.
For further information, press, image or interview requests please contact: Ché Zara Blomfield
By email: che@uva.co.uk or by phone: UK +44(0)7512150743 & DE +49(0)1798076072

UVA – Chorus, 2009
UVA Noteworthy Works
Origin, 2011
In Origin, UVA explore society’s acceptance of
technological engagement. The work embodies
polarities in nature: passive and calm, and
erratic and unreliable, somewhat reflectively
of systems we have become reliant on in
technology.
The work is UVA’s largest responsive
installation, spanning 10m2. The geometric
structure, formed of cubes, neatly conceals
speakers, producing compelling soundscapes
by Scanner (aka Robin Rimbaud) and energetic,
animated light.
In its entirety Origin presents both the attractive
and negative qualities of technology, an interest
in keeping with UVA’s past work, especially
including works Monolith, Tryptich, Volume
and Array.
Chorus, 2009
UVA’s first kinetic work, Chorus, consisted of
eight tall black pendulums, heavily referencing
Steve Reich. Each pendulum housed a light
and speaker which emitted a piece by award
winning British composer, Mira Calix.
Calix specifically constructed the soundscape
from recordings of core members of the Opera
North Company. The whole composition was
produced to work in perfect harmony, the
movement triggering sound and light, each
pendulum falling in and out of synchrony, yet all
corresponding.
UVA believe Chorus is the work that has
received the most emotive response to date.
The piece was originally installed for the
opening of the Howard Assembly Room,
commissioned by Opera North Projects in
association with The Culture Company in 2009
then, in November at The Durham Cathedral
for the Lumiere festival and the Boiler Room at
East London’s Wapping Project in 2010.
UVA were awarded a distinction at the Prix Ars
Electronica, for Chorus in 2010.
Volume, 2006
Volume was UVA’s first responsive, large-scale
installation. It inaugurated in the John Madejski
garden at London’s V&A Museum.
Volume was key in UVA’s development, the
totemic structures created a garden of light
and sound which drew visitors to, and into the
work. It was the first work that really succeeded
in engaging viewers and at the same time
explored their interest in the similarities
between technology and nature.
Volume’s original sound score was by Robert
Del Naja and onepointsix. Since 2006, Volume
traveled to Hong Kong, Taiwan, St. Petersburg
and Melbourne.
For further information, press, image or interview requests please contact: Ché Zara Blomfield
By email: che@uva.co.uk or by phone: UK +44(0)7512150743 & DE +49(0)1798076072