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Archival Bodies: care, play and radical access
playbody, a design collective in Hackney Wick, took over V&A East Storehouse one night in June 2026. Through performance and participation, they reimagined what radical access could look like.Their work ‘playbody carousel’, inspired by conversation pits and playground roundabouts, invited visitors to gather, spin and connect.
playbody use architecture, design and club culture to centre trans and queer experiences. They build spaces of care, safety and collective freedom beyond rules that police gender and the body.
Written by: Rubén Salgado Pérez, Contemporary Programme Curator, Live Programme, V&A East
Published: September 2026
Working Museum
- Museum Number
- CIRC.314-1965
- Description
- Three Nesting Tables
- Artist/Maker
- Breuer, Marcel Lajos
- Location and Date
- England, ca.1936
- Materials/Techniques
- Beech, Laminate, Laminated, Bent
- Museum Number
- 7386-1861
- Description
- Lamentation over the Dead Christ
- Artist/Maker
- Bandinelli, Baccio
- Location and Date
- Florence, ca. 1548-58
- Materials/Techniques
- Stucco, Wood, Relief, Gilding, Painting
- Museum Number
- CIRC.75-1971
- Description
- Trieste Folding Chair
- Artist/Maker
- Jacober, Aldo
- Location and Date
- Milan, 1966
- Materials/Techniques
- Wood, Straw, Lacquering
- Museum Number
- ME.3-2019
- Description
- Bench
- Artist/Maker
- Najla el Zein
- Location and Date
- Beirut, 2017
- Materials/Techniques
- Foam, Concrete