Renée Levi 2026: September transforms Hayward Gallery
Artist Renée Levi unveils September on industrial mesh at Hayward Gallery in London, on view from September 23 to November 15, 2026.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Renée Levi transforms the Hayward Gallery facade with her artwork September
- The artist uses industrial mesh as a painting surface for the very first time
- Commissioned by Audemars Piguet Contemporary, running Sept 23 to Nov 15, 2026
Artist Renée Levi has taken over the exterior facade of the Hayward Gallery in London, UK, with a striking new site-specific installation titled September. Commissioned in partnership with Audemars Piguet Contemporary, the massive public artwork is officially on view to the public from September 23 through November 15, 2026.
A core highlight of the commission lies in Levi's unprecedented choice of materials. For the first time in her career, she utilized industrial mesh—a substrate typically reserved for large-scale commercial advertising and signage. This unique material allows air to effortlessly flow through while supporting oversized fluorescent paint strokes, subtly subverting a surface normally dedicated to commerce into fine art itself.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
Spanning across two distinct painted panels, September deliberately rejects a traditional single frontal perspective found in indoor gallery paintings. Instead, the installation shifts dynamically depending on the viewer's distance, viewing angle, daylight, and shifting shadows, seamlessly integrating with the constant flow of pedestrians along the South Bank.
This material experimentation perfectly aligns with Audemars Piguet Contemporary's core mission of backing artists to explore uncharted territories within their artistic practice. By pushing creators out of traditional studio confines into large-scale public architectural spaces, such collaborations foster unexpected dialogues between contemporary art and urban architecture.
Levi tied the instability of the visuals directly to the title September, viewing it as a month marked by shifting light, changing weather, and metropolitan rhythms. Over the eight-week exhibition period, daily commuters, international tourists, and accidental passersby alike become its engaged repeat audience, encountering contemporary art as part of their routine city life.
Source: designboom
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