Regents Canal and the "I Am Here" Project

A couple of weekends ago, I took a walk from Haggerston overground station along the canal to Broadway Market. It was a Saturday morning, so I decided to take a peek around the market. For a Saturday, it was quite early, but there were others who were also up as well and cycling or running along the canal path. 

I passed underneath a couple of arched bridges with pieces of street art on them. Some of the walls along the canal are covered with mosaics featuring aspects of the area of London.

I took a few photographs of the canal and various canal house boats. I wondered what it must be like to live in a canal boat moared on the canal.

A little further along and near to the exit of the canal path (to Broadway Market) are locks. I did not see any boats passing through the locks.

I took another photograph of the locks last summer when I visited the area and caught some rowboats on the edge of the canal. Although it was not as sunny or warm this time, it was still a lovely walk.

On the top of the locks are a couple of houses. I am not sure that I would personally like to live near a canal, but it is alright for a view, and this must not be too common in London.

Not long after I started walking along the canal from Haggerston station, I noticed a large building covered with fading portraits. This is the "I Am Here" art project.

"I Am Here" Art Project

Not too far from Haggerston station and along the canal is a housing estate. A series of photographs have been placed in the windows by a group of artists (known collectively as Fugitive Images) occupying flats in the estate. This estate was managed by Hackney Council, and when tennants left the property, the council simply placed orange boards over the windows of the flats that were not occupied. This made the building look like an abandoned eyesore, but the artists photographed portraits of the residents and placed those over the orange boards. "I Am Here" challenges themes of urban decay and aspect of 'home' and 'living'. See the below photographs of the estate.

"I Am Here"