Breaking: Turner Prize-Winning Artist Debuts New Film Installation Exploring Britain’s Rave History
london – A landmark installation by Turner Prize-winning artist Jeremy Deller has opened at The Vinyl Factory: Reverb, revealing how dance music shaped British society from the mid-1980s thru the early 1990s.The project presents Everybody in the Place: An Incomplete History of Britain 1984-1992 as part of the Reverb exhibition at 180 Studios.
Across three decades, Deller has established himself as a central voice in art, music, and politics. His career spans groundbreaking projects from Acid Brass to The battle of Orgreave, and It Is What It Is: Conversations About Iraq. The Vinyl Factory’s collaboration with the artist extends over years, producing a wide array of music and art endeavors, including a Venice Biennale soundtrack and multiple limited releases.
in this installation, Deller revisits the social and political resonance of house music and its origins in Chicago and Detroit. the piece blends rare archival material with an oral-history approach to trace how the genre moved into British life after the miners’ strike,and how it became a political force in its own right.
Interviewed for the feature, Deller described the approach as a means to illuminate rave history for a broader audience, including students. The project centers on a film of a lecture he delivered to A-level Politics students, pairing archival footage with firsthand reflections on how dance culture pushed societal change.
Research for the film leaned on memory, literature, and online material. One vivid moment highlighted a Detroit group dancing to Kraftwerk, a scene Deller encountered online and decided to include for its revelatory power. He emphasized that hands‑on music making in schools can connect younger generations to the movement’s experimental roots.
The work foregrounds a persistent political thread: even when lyrics are minimal, the very act of gathering to dance-often in spaces not designated for public performance-carried political weight. Deller notes that post‑miners’ strike Britain treated such gatherings as disruptions, prompting shifts in policy and patience from authorities.
beyond its historical narrative, the installation features a diagram Deller drew at age 19 that charts the relationship between brass bands and acid house, underscoring how Britain’s cultural evolution moved from industrial to post‑industrial life. A negative Stonehenge image, produced from a fashion shoot, watches over the room as a reminder of Britain’s enduring cultural symbolism.
Deller argues that popular and dance music deserve a serious place in art spaces. He sees these works not as mere nostalgia but as documents of social change, capable of shaping attitudes and, in some cases, altering historical narratives. The installation invites visitors to consider how music can intervene in history and propel it forward.
Tickets are available for The Vinyl Factory: Reverb at 180 Studios.The exhibition runs from May 22, 2024, to March 2, 2025, with open hours from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday.
| key Facts | Details |
|---|---|
| Exhibition | Everybody in the Place: An Incomplete History of Britain 1984-1992 |
| Venue | The Vinyl Factory: Reverb, 180 Studios, The Strand, London |
| Dates | 22 May 2024 – 2 March 2025 |
| Hours | 10:00-19:00, Wednesday-Sunday |
| Ticket Link | 180 Studios Tickets |
Live Q&A and artist Insight
Two questions for readers: How should art venues balance entertainment value with critical history when presenting music culture? And which moment in the British dance-music era do you believe had the most lasting social impact?
Context and Further Reading
for more on Jeremy Deller’s broader body of work and his influence at the intersection of art, music, and politics, see official profiles from major cultural institutions.
External reads: Tate: Jeremy Deller, The Vinyl Factory.
Share yoru thoughts in the comments below and join the conversation about how art spaces can illuminate the histories behind popular culture.
