ICA History: 1960s
From the 1960s, radical architectural thinking became a key component of the ICA. In 1963 the founders of the magazine ‘Archigram’ presented a show titled Living City which presented their belief “in the city as a unique organism”, and were hailed as the new Pop Architecture.
Throughout the 1960s there was a strong emphasis on the importance of technology in all aspects of the arts. This gave rise to the exhibition Cybernetic Serendipity, presented in the new Nash House premises, which sought to explore and demonstrate ‘relationships between technology and creativity’ with a display of computer-generated art. “The exhibition included robots, poetry, music and painting machines, as well as all sorts of works where chance was an important ingredient. It was an intellectual exercise that became a spectacular exhibition in the summer of 1968.” Jasia Reichardt, (exhibition curator, speaking in 2005).
With the move to the new building came the possibility to stage theatre productions for the first time, rather than the play readings which had been held in the 40s and 50s. However perhaps the most significant theatre production held under the ICA’s auspices in the 1960s took place in a hired venue, because of the exacting requirements of the director. The avant-garde Polish director Grotowski brough his Teatr Laboratorium (Theatre Laboratory) to London for the first time in 1969, performing The Constant Prince and Apokalipsis cum Figuris to a small audience of 40 per night for 10 nights.
The new building also meant that the ICA was able to show films in-house and the schedule kicked off with Don Levy’s Herostratus. Meanwhile the ICA’s Music Section continued to present concerts featuring many first UK performances of works by contemporary composers such as John Cage.
Launched September 2007