Published: 25 June, 2010
by DON RYAN

A HOLLOWAY super­market has been able to add a touch of culture to its range of items on display this week with the launch of a new concept art exhibition.

It means that shoppers, as well as purchasing the usual trolley load of food and household goods, can expand their minds by viewing some interesting new examples of kinetic sculpture.

Islington North MP Jeremy Corbyn attended Sunday’s Intransit opening at Waitrose in Holloway Road and said he was impressed by the event.

Artists Nigel Goldie, Hinchee Hung and Andy Charalambous have decorated their sculptures – made out of cardboard and plastic materials – with the help of local schoolchildren from Pakeman Primary and Tufnell Park Primary as well as staff at the Waitrose branch.

Much of the material used is from the store.

The works are part of the London Festival of Architecture and are designed to draw attention to the benefits of recycling and reusing waste packaging.

“Ours is a conceptual form of art”, said Tufnell Park man Andy Charalambous.“It is the message not the medium or the material that matters. And the message is sustainability, and being more thoughtful and careful with avail­able natural resources.”  

For a gallery, the artists used the covered mall at the side of the store.  

They also recruited other artists from the current Hollo­way Arts Festival who are running an all-borough event, Islington Exhibits.

Quentin Clark, Waitrose’s head of ethical and sustainable sourcing, said: “When Daniel approached me with the blueprint for this imaginative exhibition, I backed the idea immediately.

It is precisely the kind of constructive community orientated activity Waitrose is keen to support.”

Customer services manager Daniel Armstrong helped install the exhibits, some of which appeared to “float” above the heads of the thousands of shoppers who pass through the store every day.

There were several  interactive exhibits including a “weighing scales” made partially from cardboard boxes. 

The “whiffletree”, a hanging sculpture created from cereal boxes, and hundreds of greeting cards embroidered by children from local schools, also took pride of place at the exhibition.

Mr Corbyn was delighted with the event: “It’s colourful and it  unites local business and local people in support of sustainability,  and that’s great,” he said.

• Intransit is at Waitrose, 366 Holloway Road, N7, until July 4. www.intransitkinetics.com