PLAY ON WORDS

Thu 1 Apr
John Hegley
+ Found in Translation
+ Barbican Young Poets

Barbican Art Gallery | FREE | 7pm

We help celebrate another side of legendary London architect and visionary artist Ron Arad. For the industrial design maverick, inventor of the SMS displaying Swarovski Crystal chandelier, is also a word fanatic. In this special event in conjunction with Barbican Art Gallery’s retrospective, eccentric comic wordsmith John Hegley performs a selection of poems inspired by Arad’s love of repartee. Literary new-kids-on-the-block Found in Translation take you on a breakneck mystery tour of obscurantist French writing group The Oulipo – an ‘a’e’i’o’universe of extremist poetry puzzles; and Barbican Young Poets respond to the exhibition with a selection of new works. All this in the delectable surroundings of the special exhibition venue where you can relax in Ron Arad furniture or have a go on his ping-pong table.

Co-hosted by the Barbican

“A recipe for madness” —The Londonist on Found in Translation

“Pure, unadulterated, genius” —Daily Information on Found in Translation

“If the show is half as entertaining as the book then I’d feel cheated, as John Hegley excels in front of an audience.” —BBC on John Hegley

“Since March, these 14-20 year old wordsmiths have been taking over an unsuspecting workshop room in the Barbican’s inner labyrinth every other Wednesday, to think, breathe and write poetry with the Foundry’s own Jacob Sam-La Rose.”
—The Foundry on the Barbican Young Poets

www.barbican.org.uk/ronarad
www.johnhegley.co.uk
www.aisle16.co.uk