Assemble

Assemble are a collective based in London, nominated for the 2015 Turner Prize, who work across the fields of art, architecture and design. They began working together in 2010 and are comprised of 18 members. Assemble’s working practice seeks to address the typical disconnection between the public and the process by which places are made. They work in a way that is interdependent and collaborative, embracing direct action and a DIY sensibility. Their projects often deploy unconventional means, are self-initiated self-made or self-organised, subverting typical hierarchies and procedures surrounding the realization of architectural spaces. It’s a refreshing and playful approach, which provides a stark contrast to the homogenous urban landscape which unfolds under processes such as design-and-build, and post-recession strategies of regeneration and gentrification, processes which often embrace development over quality of design, social concerns, or suitability for public use. Within this context, Assemble’s work tries to be critical, reflective, joyful and above all, useful.