South London Gallery: art in the walls

An extremely well-appointed one bedroom flat, complete with north-facing terrace and its own lift down to an art gallery, cafe and garden, was seen by the public for the first time at the weekend. The flat forms part of the South London Gallery's £2m redevelopment and will be occupied for short periods by a series of artists-in-residence. For now, though, the flat is being used as gallery space for its new show, Nothing Is Forever, themed around a clever idea. Artists including Fiona Banner, Mark Titchner and Robert Barry have put work directly on to the walls so that it becomes part of the building's fabric, or bones, when the walls are painted in September. Opposite, Yinka Shonibare has designed a fabric to cover the gable end of a 40m-tall Peckham tower block. The SLG's redevelopment is a good thing and demonstrates the need for more private investment in the arts: only 20% of the costs came from public funds.