Swiss Artist Renée Levi Transforms London’s Hayward Gallery with Bold New Façade

Swiss artist Renée Levi has created a new two-panel painting titled September, which will be displayed on the façade of London’s Hayward Gallery from 23 September to 15 November 2026. The project is a co-commission by Audemars Piguet Contemporary and the Southbank Centre’s Hayward Gallery. This work is the result of nearly two years of preparation, during which Levi explored new industrial materials and adapted her painting practice to suit an outdoor architectural context.

For September, Levi worked with a synthetic mesh, a type of netting commonly used for large-scale advertising banners. This material was chosen specifically for its ability to withstand wind and outdoor conditions, as traditional linen would not have been suitable for the exterior installation. The adaptation to this new substratum marked a significant shift in Levi’s approach, as she had to consider both the durability of the material and the visual impact on the building’s façade.

Levi selected the Hayward Gallery as the site for her work after considering several possible locations. She was particularly drawn to the structure of the building, especially a long horizontal window that she found to be very painterly. This window became the centre of her composition, allowing the painting to engage directly with the architectural features of the gallery.

Rather than concealing the building, Levi aimed to use the façade as a context to present her work in an unexpected way. She wanted the painting to interact with the existing architecture, highlighting the relationship between the artwork and the structure rather than obscuring it.

A key aspect of Levi’s approach is her interest in maintaining a connection with the human body, in contrast to the monumentality of the building. She created the painting using the span of her arms, and the installation allows viewers to come very close to the work, almost to the point of touching it. This physical proximity is intended to foster a more intimate experience for the audience.

Levi incorporated sprayed lines into the painting, which she believes might resonate with younger viewers due to their familiarity with graffiti as a visual language. She also hopes that the colours of the work will be sufficiently striking to attract the attention of passersby.

Levi acknowledges that some people may not notice the work at all, which she sees as reflective of contemporary attitudes. For her, the artwork will only be truly complete on the day it is removed from the façade. Renée Levi is represented by Galerie Bernard Jordan in Paris, Philippzollinger in Zurich, and Galerie Knoell in Basel.