PRESS RELEASE 23 June 2015

CUMING: A NATURAL SELECTION by Janetka Platun 8 – 30 August 2015 | Platform

In March 2013, a fire devastated ’s Cuming Museum, a building in holding one of ’s most eclectic collections. This summer, has collaborated with artist Janetka Platun to stage an installation inspired by the fire and the museum’s collection and to work with community groups in an exploration of loss and survival.

The museum cares for the worldwide collection of the Cuming family, who lived locally from the late 1700s until 1902. They collected widely from archaeology, ethnography, art and natural history and in 1902 around 20,000 objects were bequeathed to the local parish and a museum opened in the Newington Library building on Road in 1906. In 2006 it celebrated its centenary and opened new galleries in the adjacent building, Walworth Town Hall.

Cuming: A Natural Selection has arisen from workshops held by Platun with three local groups – families at Peckham Library, a young women's art group at Leisure Centre and a woman's art group run by Inspire, at St Peter's Church off the Walworth Road. Each participant was asked to write a short description of an object they had lost but without naming the item. The text was then read out and the group invited to draw what they thought the object was, creating multiple versions which will be displayed at the gallery.

Platun’s fascination lies in the fact that the Cuming family were not interested in purchasing objects considered fashionable or expensive at the time. Rather they purposely purchased fakes, everyday and ephemeral objects from around the world. The collection includes some of the earliest relics of ancient Egypt brought into Britain, along with objects from Africa, Asia, the Americas and Oceania.

Platun’s project has been an opportunity for the museum’s team and audiences to reflect on the fire, the museum’s collection and provide personal responses to loss. The project is inspired by the objects that were rescued, the objects that miraculously survived and the artifacts that were destroyed. One such lost piece is a figurine of St. Anne, the patron saint of lost objects and those who search for them.

Only one image of the figurine exists, taken from the front; there is no record of what she looked like from the back. Using 3D printing, a relief of St. Anne has been recreated and Platun has hand carved an imaginary back representing each lost object the group creatively responded to.

Janetka Platun said:

“My installation makes connections between the dynamic and the preserved in diverse ways. It’s an artwork that juxtaposes future technology and the making of multiples with the historical role of the museum and its dedication to the past and preservation. I hope that the exhibition reminds us that nothing is lost when it is creatively remembered.”

For further information please contact Benjamin Ward on +44 (0) 7837 134 193 / [email protected]

NOTES TO EDITORS

• A public opening will take place 18:00 – 20:30 on Friday 7 August

• The exhibition is open from 8 – 30 August. Opening times: Wednesday to Friday, 11:00 – 18:00; Saturday/Sunday, 10:00 – 17:00

• Peckham Platform is at 89 Peckham High Street London SE15 5RS [email protected] / +44 (0) 207 358 9645

• Janetka Platun The projects Janetka develops attempt to challenge orthodox ideas about people, places and the status quo by igniting dynamic creative interventions. Her work includes site-specific installations at Brixton Ice Rink, working in partnership with The National Theatre and People United, an installation inside Brockwell Lido, an art deco swimming pool in south London and a performance installation on Ynylas beach in Wales with Ceredigion Museum and Arts Council Wales. She also designed sails for a flotilla of yachts escorting the Olympic flame across the Thames as part of the Cultural Olympiad, which reached global audiences. She recently worked with the Koestler Trust to create 'Lights Out' an installation in The Southbank Centre that showcased the writing of offenders in the UK. www.janetkaplatun.com

• The Cuming Museum Southwark Council’s Cuming Museum cares for the unique Cuming family collection together with collections relating to Southwark’s history and people. The museum, based in Old Walworth Town Hall, suffered a devastating fire in March 2013 and is currently closed to the public. The museum team is currently working on various outreach projects across the borough, including this collaboration with Janetka Platun and Peckham Platform. For more information visit www.southwark.gov.uk/cumingmuseum

• Peckham Platform Peckham Platform is a creative and educational charity based in a gallery on Peckham Square, SE15. It became independent at the start of 2014 and was awarded Arts Council national portfolio funding six months later. As an organisation it believes that communities can inform and shape their engagement with their locality by working with contemporary visual artists. Its programme of commissions creates meaningful and accessible social arts practice for Peckham and beyond, providing an expansive platform for different voices and debate and bringing contemporary social practice alive. www.peckhamplatform.com