Whitechapel Gallery hosted Aya Haidar: A Love Song for Whitechapel on 1 October 2026, an evening event launching a new public realm project by the artist. Curated by UP Projects and commissioned by Tower Hamlets Council, the work was developed through a participatory process with pupils from Swanlea School and members of the Bow Geezers, a group of elders based in East London.
The gallery's page explains that the finished artwork is projected onto a wall near Whitechapel Market in October 2026. It explores collective memories and impressions of the neighbourhood through a series of rhyming couplets that form the chorus of a specially composed Love Song for Whitechapel, inspired by conversations with local people. For the launch, Haidar spoke with Richard Martin, Director of Participation at Whitechapel Gallery, about the stories that surfaced during the project, followed by a live performance of the song by Tom Carradine, contributions from Emma Underhill of UP Projects and the project partners, and a walk led by the artist to see the projection.
Aya Haidar is a London based artist whose practice is closely engaged with socially situated and participatory projects. Her programmes include work with Kettle's Yard, the V&A's Stitching Borders, Tate's Illuminating Cultures and INIVA, and in 2016 she was selected for Do It Arab, curated by Hans Ulrich Obrist and Hoor Al Qasimi. She has exhibited at the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Whitworth and Somerset House, and her solo exhibition Battlegrounds was shown at Tabari, which represents her.
