Somerset House Marks The Return Of Morgan Stanley Lates With An Evening Of South Asian Performance Poetry, Live Music And Installation Art

On Wednesday 19 April, Somerset House sees the first 2023 installment of its Morgan Stanley Lates at Somerset House with The Courtauld series, offering visitors the experience of a true site-wide takeover with exclusive live performance and experiences themed around current exhibitions.

Free to all, the evening features live music from musician and broadcaster Nabihah Iqbal, poetry and spoken word performance from underground South Asian collective Daytimers, and - taking centre stage - a colossal outdoor art installation by artist Jitish Kallat.

Taking place across the year, the Morgan Stanley Lates are special one-off nights, which offer after-hours access and activities hosted by artists and curators, plus delicious food pop-ups and bars, with DJ sets to see you through the evening. On 19 April, this event, themed around the work of Jitish Kallat, will feature a food menu by Rockit which mixes traditional Indian flavours with the hearty classics outdoor fare and using only local produce.

Jitish Kallat: Whorled (Here After Here After Here)

At the heart of the evening is the new courtyard commission by Somerset House from the Mumbai based artist Jitish Kallat in his first major public commission in the UK. His striking outdoor installation comprises two intersecting spirals, 336 metres long, that echo the signage of UK roads and connects our iconic neoclassical courtyard to locations across the planet and the distant universe.

Some of the locations featured in Whorled have fallen victim to rising sea levels, while others are known to be under environmental threat of submersion within the next thirty years. These place names, accompanied by warning signs, resonate with Somerset House's own proximity to the River Thames and London's vulnerability to flooding. The cyclical movements through space and non-linear time prompt a reconsideration of our relationship with the planet, its past and imminent future, and the wider cosmos.

Nabihah Iqbal: The Sound of Us

Echoing the sentiments behind Kallat's installation, Nabihah Iqbal explores the relationship between humans and nature, identity and environment. Through a combination of field recordings made by Nabihah in London as well as on her travels coupled with original composition, she's created a soundscape inspired by questions around the evolution of people and their environments.

Nabihah Iqbal is a musician, producer, DJ and broadcaster from London who has hosted radio shows on NTS, Radio 1, 1Xtra, Asian Network, World Service and 6Music since 2013. Following her debut album on Ninja Tune in 2017, Nabihah has toured the world extensively as both a live act and DJ. Her much anticipated new album Dreamers is released on 28 April.

Daytimers: Mehfil

Daytimers, the collective at the heart of the re-emerging South Asian underground, present a takeover spotlighting and celebrating some of the most exciting South Asian poets operating in the scene right now, alongside showcasing live classical musicians.

Curated by Rohan Rakhit and with a line-up featuring Gayathiri Kamalakanthan, Charnjit Gill and Simran Uppal, the performance draws inspiration from historic celebrations of the Indian subcontinent, traditionally presented in the homes or palaces of royalty or nobility. Mehfil events typically combined elements of poetry, Qawwali, Sufi and Hindustani classical music, performed for audiences in an intimate setting.

Mehfil is presented by Daytimers in 15-minute performances which run throughout the evening at 19.00, 20.00 and 21.00.

Morgan Stanley Lates at Somerset House with The Courtauld takes place on Wednesday 19 April 2023, 6pm - 10pm, with live performance throughout the evening. This event is free to all.

Book tickets here

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