#MyBarbican
We’re not just an arts centre, we’re also a community
#MyBarbican began as a way of us coming together during 2020 – a year which threw a lot of unexpected events at our doorstep. We wanted to share with you, our community, your favourite memories of the Barbican.
How did you discover our building first? What experience held a special place in your heart?
‘We chose the Barbican as the backdrop for our pre wedding photoshoot because it’s a very special place for us. In this photo we are looking back at our 10 years together. When we moved to London it was the first place we fell in love with. We spent many Sundays looking at the tropical plants in the conservatory. We would watch our favourite artists, films and exhibitions or just hang out with friends in the cafeteria. A huge milestone for Gizmo was to play at Barbican Hall supporting Mexican star Julieta Venegas, after years of dreaming to play there.
On 5th May, our 10th anniversary we got Zoom married and we can't wait to be back at Barbican.’
Gati / @Gatuszewska
Gizmo / @Gizmovarillas
📸 @margorphotography
'Since I was a little child, The Barbican has always held a special place in my heart. For some reason, it’s a place I always felt settled, calm and at home. I have fond memories of running about and exploring all the nooks and crannies with my best friend while her mum sat and watched some of the epic live performances.
When I became a mother, I vowed that I would introduce my daughter to this brutalist architectural thing of beauty and hoped she would fall in love with it just as much as I did. My favourite day? When she turned to me one day and said 'mum, I love it here'.
'
Ife Akintoye / @wowwomen2020
'This piece I made to conclude my feelings during lockdown. There were many times I’m sure we all felt of no motivation. One of the only ways I could gain inspiration or start to move again was looking out my windows to the Barbican or going for a daily walk on the podium.'
Edith Owen / @edith_and_contax
‘My father, a Barbican resident at ‘the waterfall’: “The Barbican holds a special place in my heart. It gave me tranquillity, access to world cinema, a love of brutalist architecture and a place to belong.”
Dave Picton / @adventuretimedave
‘Part of the reason why I'm so drawn to the Barbican Centre is because it feels like a microcosm of a world that could have been. It always feels like I'm stepping into an incredible sci-fi film set or an alternate reality. This is why I took my 35mm analog film camera to take some stills with my friend, Joel. The brutalist architecture is such a bold and expressionistic aesthetic that it becomes another character within the images. Barbican has become my go-to for sparking creative inspiration.’
Mahmut Akay / @mahmutakay
Joel Marshall / @joelmphotography
📸 Mahmut Akay / @mahmutakay
‘The Barbican holds many special memories for me. This is from 2010 when my partner and I lived in London (we are back in New Zealand now). Not only were there lots of interesting events, exhibitions and beautiful architecture... but we would often meet for lunch during the week at the Barbican. My partner would walk from Farringdon and I would walk from Spitalfields.’
Lydia Bradbury
'The Barbican is my favourite place in London. I actually have a 'Barbican' folder on my computer for all the photos I take there, and I arrange other photos by date. Despite its central location and imposing architecture, I always find it to be calming. It is a place that no matter how many times you visit, there is always something new to see and capture.'
Elias von Hildebrand / @visuals.by.elias
'I take my 3-year-old boy to the Barbican average twice a month. It's a labyrinth of surprises inside and out. It also has the sense of being an oasis and a retreat. Its science fiction like skyscrapers add to the wonderful multi-dimensional experience. My boy already gets it at 3.'
Henning Marstrand / @eyeleplant
‘A cold December in 2018 at the Barbican. One year on I had my beautiful baby boy and I wonder if my body can still make these shapes.’
Alex Fine / @_alexfine
Lucy Lowndes / @lucylowndes.pilates
📸Alex Fine / @_alexfine
'I took the photograph on a day shortly before my daughter was due to begin school. It was a very happy day, the two of us exploring the high and low 'roads' of the Barbican. Our highlight was a delicious slice of cake and hot chocolate by the lake!’
Tim Walker / @electricphotography
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