Nottingham Contemporary

"A surreal delight... merry mayhem... bouncing between the play structures in euphoric disbelief that an art gallery could ever be so much fun"
– Oliver Wainwright, The Guardian

In 1968, the legendary Italian-Brazilian architect Lina Bo Bardi drew a fantastical playground. This colourful drawing imagines a series of vast structures in front of Museum of Art, São Paulo (MASP), which she had recently designed. They loom over the museum – as though imagined by children, rather than an architect. This was important for Bo Bardi, who wrote: “the young will be the protagonists in the life of the museum through design, music and theatre”.

This utopian play-space was, however, never built. Today, the unrealised design prompts the question: how might we reimagine galleries, play and education?

More than three years in the making, in summer 2022 Nottingham Contemporary will collaborate with the design collective Assemble to bring Bo Bardi’s vision to life. Inspired by the architect’s now-famous drawing, this ambitious project will realise a series of large-scale play sculptures, one of which was developed in dialogue with children from three local schools.

At each school Assemble worked closely with a resident artist and children over time to explore themes around play. Children’s actions, ideas and responses were at the heart of this conversation; Assemble have created a design for and by the city’s children. So, let’s go and play.

Exhibition Credits

Entry

To ensure the safety of our visitors, capacity in this exhibition is limited to 60. You may be asked to wait to enter during busy times. There is no pre-booking; entry will be on a first-come, first-served basis. Please speak to our Reception team about the next available time slot.

During peak periods, you will be asked to limit your visit to one hour.

Safe play

Please take care of your children while enjoying the exhibition, encouraging safe and positive play.

Grown-ups and children are asked to remove their shoes. Please be aware that the floor may be slippery. If you have non-slip socks at home, please bring them with you – if not, a limited number of non-slip socks are available on request.

Please don’t take food and drink inside the exhibition.

Our Gallery Assistants are on hand to support a happy and safe environment. Please help by listening to their guidance and let them know if you need assistance.