In May, we finally opened the doors of V&A East Storehouse to the public. Just a few weeks later, the space was transformed once again for back2back: Archival Bodies with a dynamic blend of site-responsive installations and performancesby playbody—a creative collective and architectural design studio based in Hackney, just a short walk from the site. playbody reimagined the Storehouse as a playground for human connection. Together with a brilliant community of artists, they offered an ambitious and bold vision of what a public space can become. With over 900 visitors exploring its collection hall, the day filled with energy, curiosity, and shared moments of wonder.
As you stepped into the welcome area, you were immediately met by a 360° DJ booth, the structure designed by playbody, pulsing with electronic sets from Li Yi Lei. On the other side of the welcome area, the corridor housing the creative studios had been lightly activated as an exhibition space, featuring photographs by Alexander Ekholm and Stylian Tastsoglou displayed on a distinctive, custom-built structure also designed by playbody
Meanwhile, in the heart of the Storehouse, things began to stir. At the bottom of the entry staircase, performers from experimental dance company ceno2—featuring Sabrina Jade and Maya Luna—started their act. Wearing headphones, they entered a makeup station in the underground store area. There, they slowly prepared themselves—applying makeup, combing and straightening hair. These quiet, ritualistic acts unfolded in a space, usually reserved for collection storage, lending an intimate charge to every gesture.
Upstairs in Gallery 3, a crowd formed to witness SEMARĀ (S3BA, Hḗrā, maxxxim). Their performance—rooted in tenderness and mutual care—carved out a space for trans+ life to be celebrated, seen, and felt. Against the gallery’s spectacular Torijos ceiling, playbody’s spatial design echoed the Storehouse’s material language while playfully subverting it.
Meanwhile, Gallery 2 was reimagined as a soft, intimate space. Performers inhabited playbody’s signature human booth setup, surrounded by furniture built from discarded pallets. Ambient DJ sets by Gloria Rose, cass, Mola Mola, and boothbabes: Eric Castellarnau, Parti Blu and Madge bathed the room in immersive sound. Thanks to the layered atmosphere—music, materials, and staging—Le Train Bleu glowed more than ever.
Back in the Collections Hall, ceno2 returned and began to stretch across the space, unwrapping the playbody structures. The line between audience and performer blurred. The atmosphere was freeform. There were no printed programmes, no fixed routes—visitors were encouraged to wander and explore, in keeping with the Storehouse’s self-guided ethos. At the heart of it all, harpist Xiaoqiao performed live, her ambient sounds drifting through the hall like a spell.
Costumes worn by the 13 performers were a highlight in themselves—rich in texture and personality. Designed by Wesley Manners, Asia, Florence King, Studio FCLX, Sabrina Suppa, rosestudios, untitlab, cupsadfoil and LeMay, each look amplified the individuality and boldness of the performers and their movements.
Around 7pm, in two of the side tributaries, the two ceno0 performers appeared, walking steadily on their respective treadmills, shifting attention, slowing time.
They then returned to the central hall, joined by Alison Facun, and took two saddle-fitted pole structures. Born from imagined scenes of sweating, dancing, lounging, and loving, the performers climbed and folded into one another, turning them into a site of experimentation and sensuality. Nearby, the playbody carousel spun to life. Sabrina Jade, Alison Facun and Dodo Potato activated the rotating platform: one riding, one pushing. It was playful, trusting, and intimate.
Back at the entry staircase, another magical moment unfolded. S3BA emerged from the lower level, playing a flute as she wandered the space. Her sound lingered like a secret—an ephemeral thread connecting space to body, gesture to architecture.
Outside, the energy carried on. Three rounds of the human trolley rolled through the welcome space, with Dodo Potato, Alison Facun and Fagette serving watermelon slices on a wheeled platform, full of cheek and charm. The DJ booth transitioned to Lo-Low, shifting the atmosphere. Rain poured steadily. Still, more guests arrived—wet, curious, buzzing.
Then came the final act. Just after 9pm, HEZEN appeared on the glass floor of the Storehouse. Her angelic, delicate voice filled the hall. There was no stage. The audience sat close, seated on the floor, surrounding the performers. Dodo Potato and Alison Facun played with HEZEN’s braided hair—dozens of metres long—encouraging intimacy, attention, and trust. Professional dancer & choreographer Danni Perry, wearing a playbody-designed mouth contraption turning them into a human microphone stand, partnered with her on the playbody carousel and picked up even the softest breath—turning, connecting. Upstairs, others leaned over railings on the second and third floors, watching as the night came to a gentle, glowing close.
The Storehouse was unrecognisable from its daytime self. The bright, object-focused space of the day had dissolved into something more emotional, more alive. Every performance and installation echoed the building’s visual language while also challenging it with new interventions——turning the Storehouse into a fully felt experience.
This was just the beginning. The first takeover. A powerful, playful demonstration of what the Storehouse can be: not only a place for preserving objects, but for nurturing relationships and imagining new ways of being together—grounded in care, joy, and love.
Scroll down for images from the night.
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Behind the scenes
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What’s next?
If you missed back2back: Archival Bodies, don’t worry—there’s much more to come. Stay connected via our website and social channels for updates on upcoming programmes.
