The Hackney sharks are back, or are they? Are they art or a building?

Hackney Council’s Enforcement Notice against the ‘display of art installations' at Hoxton Docks has been quashed by the recent planning appeal decision. However, although Antepavilion has now been graciously liberated by the Inspector to display art at the Wharves - which it has been doing for 25 years anyway - the decision is non-committal on when art requires planning permission. This is now for the council to decide in the first instance, or a planning inspector thereafter. It is a question at the heart of Antepavilion’s agenda: when does art become architecture or architecture become art?

To help them decide whether a shark on a float in our canal mooring is ‘development’ a lone shark now floats in our dockside. We are waiting to hear from them with the result of their deliberations before a 2022 reincarnation of the sharks is floated for the spring/summer season