Press Release: CIRCA Presents Hetain Patel, Baa’s House 11

CIRCA PRESENTS NEW WORK BY HETAIN PATEL IN COLLABORATION WITH THE FILM LONDON JARMAN AWARD

 

(London, Piccadilly Circus) 1 November 2021 ➳ Manifesting in heroic scale a figure often overlooked by media and advertising, Hetain Patel broadcasts ‘Baa’s House 11’ a poignant new commission for CIRCA showcasing a first-generation immigrant matriarch towering over the streets of London, Milan, New York, Seoul and Tokyo throughout November.  

Presented in collaboration with The Film London Jarman Award, ‘Baa’s House 11’ embodies the spirit of  iconoclastic filmmaker and polemical gay activist Derek Jarman. Influenced by his legacy of challenging  perceptions, giving a voice to marginalised communities and pushing creative practices forward, The Mayor  of London has supported Patel in creating a special trompe-l’oeil 3D experience exclusively for Piccadilly  Lights, as part of their ‘Let’s Do London’ campaign.

Exploring themes of immigration and identity on a global stage, ‘Baa’s House 11’ pays homage to Patel’s  grandmother, performed by Indian Kathak dancer, Vina Ladwa. Co-opting billboard spaces in five major  cities, Patel shows his grandmother looking out from the screen, empowered in everyday labour, whilst surveying passers by watching below. Typically under-represented in such spaces of mass media and  advertising, the matriarch challenges audiences around the world to confront the power of such  torchbearers of cultural heritage within the migrant community.

Patel, winner of the 12th Film London Jarman Award notes: “I am interested in a representation of my  grandmother occupying this space instead, striking, and powerful in her domestic action…. The invitation  to occupy such iconic spaces around the world is huge – physically, artistically, and culturally. Working at  this scale is both daunting and thrilling. I can’t wait to share this new commission with audiences in London  and beyond.”

Hetain Patel is a celebrated British artist of Indian descent who frequently works with family members,  exploring the creative potential inherent in familial bonds and domestic settings.

Justine Simons OBE, Deputy Mayor for Culture & Creative Industries, said: “In London, our diversity  is our greatest strength. Our city is home to migrants from all over the world and this artwork will place  traditionally underrepresented communities centre stage in the capital. Hetain Patel’s powerful and moving  artwork at the Piccadilly Lights Screen is just one of a number of new exhibits and events in the capital this  winter as we continue to showcase the best of our city and welcome visitors from across the UK and beyond.  It is part of our ‘Let’s Do London’ campaign – the biggest domestic tourism campaign London has ever  seen.”

Adrian Wootton OBE, Chief Executive of Film London and the British Film Commission, said “We are  thrilled to collaborate with CIRCA on presenting Jarman patron Hetain Patel’s work in this way. This year,  more than ever, it’s vital that we continue to protect and support artists to challenge perceptions, push  creative practices and have their voices – and those of the communities they represent – heard. This was  precisely the spirit of Derek Jarman, and Hetain’s commission brings this spirit to the centre of London life,  and beyond.” 

 

Published by CIRCA on the occasion of Baa’s House 11 (2021), Baa’s House 3 is a time-limited edition by Hetain Patel that transforms a familiar domestic detail into a powerful reflection on migration, memory and belonging. Derived from the patterned carpet in his grandmother’s home in Bolton, the work elevates an everyday object into a portrait of family history, carrying within it the traces of journeys, traditions and lived experience passed between generations.

Patel’s practice frequently draws upon the people closest to him, exploring how identity is shaped through family, culture and personal relationships. For Baa’s House, he turned his attention to his grandmother, a first-generation immigrant whose home became a place where memories, languages and customs were preserved across generations. The intricate carpet pattern that forms the basis of this work becomes more than decoration. It functions as a visual archive, embodying the rhythms of domestic life and the unseen stories embedded within the spaces we call home.

Released alongside Baa’s House 11, Patel’s public commission for CIRCA presented in collaboration with the Film London Jarman Award, the edition forms part of a wider project celebrating the often-overlooked figures who carry culture forward. Broadcast across public screens in London, Milan, New York, Seoul and Tokyo, the commission featured Patel’s grandmother, performed by Kathak dancer Vina Ladwa, occupying monumental advertising spaces typically reserved for commerce and celebrity. Through this gesture, Patel invited audiences to reconsider whose stories are made visible in public space and whose contributions shape our collective histories. Intimate in scale yet universal in resonance, Baa’s House 3 extends this tribute into a lasting reflection on heritage, care and cultural continuity.

 

NOTES TO EDITORS

 

SCREENING GLOBALLY
Baa’s House 11 can be viewed 1-30 November 2021 at the following times and locations worldwide: 

• 20:21 Piccadilly Lights, London
• 20:21 K-Pop Square, Seoul
• 20:21 Luxottica Piazzale Cadorna, Milan
• 20:21 Luxottica Times Square, New York
• 09:00 Yunika Vision, Tokyo

ABOUT HETAIN PATEL
Hetain Patel (b.1980, Bolton) is a London based visual artist and performance maker. His live  performances, films, sculptures, and photographs have been shown worldwide from the Venice Biennale,  Ullens Centre for Contemporary Art, Beijing and Tate Modern, London to Sadler’s Wells, where he is a New  Wave Associate. Patel made his first dance company work for Candoco in 2014, which toured  internationally for five years. His work exploring identity and freedom, using humour, choreography and text  appears in multiple formats and media, intended to reach the widest possible audience. Patel is the winner  of the Film London Jarman Award 2019, Kino Der Kunst Festival’s Best International Film 2020, and was  selected for the British Art Show 9, a Hayward Touring exhibition.

ABOUT CIRCA
CIRCA is a digital art and culture platform with purpose. We stop the clock on global media space every  evening at 20:21 and mobilise the world’s greatest creative minds to broadcast unique works that consider  our world circa 2021. The funds we generate from artist print sales drive the #CIRCAECONOMY – a circular  model that creates life-changing opportunities for the art & culture community.

Since launching in October 2020 on London’s iconic Piccadilly Lights, CIRCA has commissioned new work  from rising and established artists including Ai Weiwei, Cauleen Smith, Eddie Peake, Anne Imhof, Patti  Smith, Tony Cokes, Emma Talbot, Vivienne Westwood, James Barnor, David Hockney and more. 

CIRCA SUPPORTERS
CIRCA has been made possible by Landsec, landlord of Piccadilly Lights, who have kindly donated media  space, as a helpful boost to the cultural scene in London’s West End.

We are grateful to Piccadilly Lights, Ocean Outdoor, Yunika Vision, CJ Powercast, Luxottica, Heart of  London, Barakat Contemporary, Lisson, Thaddaeus Ropac, and Gagosian for their continued support in enabling the presentation of our free public art programme around the world.  

CIRCA would especially like to thank The Film London Jarman Award team and The Mayor of London’s  office for their support this November. 

ABOUT THE FILM LONDON JARMAN AWARD
The Film London Jarman Award recognises and supports artists working with moving image and celebrates  the spirit of experimentation, imagination and innovation in the work of UK-based artist filmmakers. The  Award is inspired by visionary filmmaker Derek Jarman and is presented in association with the  Whitechapel Gallery.

Now in its fourteenth year, the Award has built an enviable reputation for spotting rising stars of the UK art  world. Previously shortlisted artists include Lawrence Abu Hamdan, Oreet Ashery, Duncan Campbell,  Monster Chetwynd, Luke Fowler, Imran Perretta, Charlotte Prodger, Laure Prouvost, Elizabeth Price,  James Richards, and Project Art Works all of whom went on to be shortlisted for or to win the Turner Prize.  

ABOUT FILM LONDON
Film London is the capital’s screen industries agency. We connect ideas, talent and finance to develop a  pioneering creative culture in the city that delivers success in film, television, animation, games and beyond.  We work to sustain, promote and develop London as a global content production hub, support the  development of the city’s new and emerging filmmaking talent and invest in a diverse and rich film culture.  Funded by the Mayor of London and the National Lottery through the BFI, we also receive support from  Arts Council England, ScreenSkills and the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Film London’s activities include:  

• Maintaining, strengthening, and promoting London’s position as world-class city to attract  investment through film, television, animation and games  
• Investing in local talent through a range of specialised production and training schemes  • Boosting employment and competitiveness in the capital’s screen industries by delivering  internationally facing business development events  
• Maximising access to the capital’s film culture by helping audiences discover film in all its diversity  • Promoting London through screen tourism  

Film London also manages the British Film Commission (www.britishfilmcommission.org.uk) through a  public/private partnership which is funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport through the BFI,  and the Department for International Trade. 

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