Swedenborg House: Fourteen Interventions is NOW OVER!
Featuring work by Jeremy Deller, Olivia Pl
ender,
Bridget Smith and others, as well as objects chosen from our archives
by Iain Sinclair, our bicentenary art show ran throughout Swedenborg House until
Feb 5th. Over one thousand people passed through the doors; the
exhibition was featured in the Guardian newspaper and on Resonance Fm
and BBC London. Our 'Evenings with' Iain Sinclair, Brian Catling, Ben
Judd and Jonathan Jones were also tremendously successful. Thank you to
everybody who took part in and attended our bicentenary exhibition. I
hope you enjoyed it as much as we did!
Images from the Exhibition: Paul Tecklenberg
Images of Swedenborg House, taken by the artist Paul Tecklenberg during his residency, can now be seen here on our website, and also on the London Group website - where he has written a fuller explanation of his work for our bicentenary exhibtion, Swedenborg House: Fourteen Interventions.
Heaven and Hell: Doors (2009)
Stephen McNeilly and James Wilson to guest on BBC Radio London!
At around 1:00 pm on the 22nd February, Stephen (publishing manager) and James (publishing assistant/librarian) will talk to talkshow host Robert Elms about the art exhibition, Swedenborg and the Society in general. Remember to tune in!
Resonance 104.4 FM to broadcast Swedenborg Society Events
Respected arts radio station, Resonance FM, will record and broadcast 'An Evening with Iain Sinclair & Brian Catling' (1st March) and Jonathan Jones' lecture on Leonardo Da Vinci (4th March) to an international audience! There is still a chance to hear them in person! Email nora@swedenborg.org.uk or phone (020) 7405 7986 to book.
Dr David Lister's talk on the emotional and rational brain was FASCINATING...
And once again, the hall was full. Thank you to everybody who came, for being such a wonderful audience. David explained, through imaginative analogy and diagrams of the brain, how both cognitive functions and emotional impulses create memory. He ended by emphasising the importance of love, in understanding and appreciating the world around you; and how Swedenborg's scientific discoveries were certainly visionary in this respect. This encouraged a thoroughly interesting discussion with the audience, about the relationship between science and religion, truth and metaphor.
Our next talk is An Evening with Iain Sinclair and Brian Catling, on the 1st March. You must now buy your ticket in advance to be ensured a place. Email nora@swedenborg.org.uk or phone (020) 7405 7986.
Exhibition: Ernest Trobridge, Visionary of the Suburbs
Few people will have heard of Ernest Torbridge, a Swedenborgian architect whose buildings are scattered accross the suburbs of North West London. However one cannot fail to notice the remarkable and singular design of the flats and houses he built, mostly during the 1920s and 1930s. Using only natural materials, the plans of the buildings are defined by a 'sentimental rationalism', itself informed by Trobridge's Swedenborgian values. Many features follow no recognised architectural tradition: his chimneys spiral, his windows are arranged in an apparently haphazard fashion - according to a 'science of correspondences'. Swedenborgian philosophy also affected Trobridge's business behaviour; he made a point of employing disable ex-servicemen, paid trade union rates and supported co-operatives unlike many of his colleagues at the time. He built 10 extraordinary houses in Kingsbury, North West London, choosing one to live in for the rest of his days. It is here that, shortly after his death in 1942, the architectural plans were found which would revive interest in his work. On the 17th February, Brent Museum and Brent Archives are launching a new exhibition, 'Ernest Trobridge: Visionary of the Suburbs', in celebration of his singular contribution to local architecture. The launch party will take place at the Willesden Green Library Centre, 95 High Rd, London, NW10 2SF. Contact (020) 8937 3600 if you would like to attend. Click here for more information on Ernest Trobridge.
A S BYATT at the Society
On Thursday 14th January, 
110
people packed Swedenborg Hall to hear the distinguished author, A S Byatt, speak.
Antonia gave a reading, with commentary, from her Swedenborgian
novella, The Conjugial Angel. Forming one half of Angels and Insects (1992), the story explores dynamics within the Tennyson family,
spiritualism and Swedenborgian ideas in the nineteenth century. She led
a fascinating discussion about artistic vision and how Swedenborgian
philosophy can inform literary style. Ultimately, it was a talk about
what it is to be creative, to be visionary or simply to be human - and
how these things are fundamentally connected. As Antonia welcomed
questions from the floor, the scope of the discussion reflected the
impressive diversity of her audience. It was a very successful evening,
enjoyed, we hope, by all. What a wonderful start to our bicentenary
year.
Happy Birthday to Us!
The Swedenborg Society is now 200 years old! We have been pubishing work by and about Emanuel Swedenborg ever since 1810. SO our bicentenary programme of events can finally begin. Distinguished author A S Byatt will kick start our celebrations on the 14th January with a reading and discussion of her Swedenborgian novella The Conjugial Angel. Admission costs only £5.00/£3.00 concessions. Please phone (020) 7405 7986 if you would like to come. More bicentenary events are listed here.
Find us on Facebook!
The Swedenborg Society has now joined FACEBOOK! Please add 'Swedenborg Soc' as your friend or become a fan. Visit us here.
Would you like to collaborate on a work of art?
Paul Tecklenberg is our artist-in-residence and he needs volunteers for a sound installation he is making for the exhibition "Swedenborg House - 14 Interventions". This exhibition will take place in February 2010 to mark the 200th anniversary of the Society.
He would like to make sound recordings of people reading extracts from "Heaven and Hell". Your voices will be used in a sound installation that will be in the basement of the building. The recording sessions will take place on Tuesday 1st and Wednesday 2nd of December at Swedenborg House between 10 am and 6 pm. The sessions won't take no more than one hour of your time. In exchange for your participation, the artist will give you a limited edition photographic print.
If you would like to be involved contact Nora on 020 7405 7986 or at nora@swedenborg.org. Everybody is welcome to take part.
E-Newsletter
We have recently developed our first ever electronic newletter. This is an events-focused newletter, developed by the staff at the Society and sent out by email on a monthly basis. It contans information on events, new books and competions at the Society - and beyond. If you would like to be added to the mailing list, please email nora@swedenborg.org.uk. We highly recommend that you sign up to the newsletter, as our program of events for the bi-centenary year is constantly evolving. The November issue has just been sent out. Contact the society if you would like to receive it.
Competition
Design the Swedenborg Society Flag! Swedenborg House has been rebranded - but there is still something missing... We have a flag pole but no flag! We are therefore challenging you to design a Swedenborg Society flag in time for our bicentenary year. The winning design will hang in a very prominent position, at the front of Swedenborg House on Bloomsbury Way. Please use your imagination to create an image representative of the Society and its aims. All submissions should be sent as a PDF to nora@swedenborg.org.uk.
Recent Events
On the 19th of September, Swedenborg House was one of 700 buildings in London throwing open its doors, as part of Open House London, the capital's largest architectural showcase. Open House is an annual event in 'celebration of design excellence'; it provides opportunities for people to explore exemplary buildings which are not normally accessible to the public. Hundreds of people passed through our doors to see what lies beyond the bookshop ... We are even featured as a 'hidden gem' of Open House, in the following week's Camden New Journal.
And THANK YOU to everyone who attended and contributed towards our summer lecture series. We hugely enjoyed Gary Lachman's kick-start to the series on the 18th of June, with a talk about the influence of Emanuel Swedenborg on the work of Edgar Allen Poe; the following week, Christopher Hasler discussed 'The Use and Misuse of Parables', encouraging a reasoned and imaginative approach to the Bible in the Swedenborgian tradition; on the 2nd of July, Patrick Johnson gave us a fascinating insight into the Swedenborgians' contribution towards the abolition of slavery; and Richard Lines ended the series on the 9th of July, with a meditation on the parallel lives of Darwin, Tennyson and Wallace in the context of 'Religion and Science in the 19th century.' This series is now over, but you can look forward to more lectures and events in the coming months. Please contact nora@swedenborg.co.uk if you would like to be notified of these.