Four Minute Mile by Gavin Turk & Hussein Chalayan (6th – 29th July)

The Vinyl Factory are pleased to announce a collaboration with Gavin Turk and Hussein Chalayan on an exclusive Vinyl Edition for Britain Creates 2012.

Following Turk’s meeting with The Vinyl Factory the idea of a collaboration on a special edition record was born.
Hussein Chalayan and Gavin Turk’s track perfectly embodies the idea of dialogue, which is central to this project. The very first time they met, at Turk’s studio, Chalayan interviewed Turk about his enduring preoccupation with the mythical status and identity of the Artist, with authorship and authenticity (–issues which the concept of collaboration itself raises). When Chalayan came to edit the transcript of their conversation it suggested the lyrics of a song, and from that the idea of a track called ‘Four Minute Mile’ emerged, the duration fixed by the speed record famously broken by Roger Bannister, the tempo such that you could run or train to it. The track begins with the pounding of running feet and the sound of breathing, which maintain an insistent tempo throughout. Turk’s voice intones his reflections on art and his role as artist, while Chalayan provides melody and a chanted echo or chorus behind.

Britain Creates 2012: Fashion & Art Collusion, is a project, led by the British Fashion Council/Bazaar Fashion Arts Foundation and in partnership with the Mayor of London, is a unique opportunity to celebrate and strengthen the longstanding relationships between fashion designers and visual artists. Iconic British designers have been paired together with top contemporary artists of which one pairing is Hussein Chalayan & Gavin Turk.

Turk went on to design a series of labels for the vinyl edition of the track. His arrangements of concentric coloured rings refer to the Olympic symbol, as well as to the optical effects of Duchamp’s Rotary sculptures. One of these designs was then realised as an object, laid flat like a turntable, and used as a prop for the video in which the camera circles the rings of the disc, taking the viewpoint of a runner on a track or a needle in the groove of a record.

The ‘Four Minute Mile’ vinyl will have a limited run of 100 copies and will be priced at £100 each, hand signed by both artists. For more info, visit our shop.

The original Vinyl, the Last (the copper master), along with the other specially created exclusive pieces will be unveiled on 27th June 2012 at a VIP Gala fundraising event before going on display at the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A). Monies raised from the gala will form part of a bursary to encourage and support emerging artists and designers and to help encourage future collaborations.

All pieces will be exhibited to the public throughout the London 2012 Festival – at the V&A from 6th-29th July, followed by an installation in Selfridges ‘Wonder Windows’ programme during July and August.

Britain Creates 2012: Fashion & Art Collusion, is a project, led by the British Fashion Council/Bazaar Fashion Arts Foundation and in partnership with the Mayor of London, is a unique opportunity to celebrate and strengthen the longstanding relationships between fashion designers and visual artists. Iconic British designers have been paired together with top contemporary artists of which one pairing is Hussein Chalayan & Gavin Turk.

Click HERE to see our photos from the exhibition.