Hot pink Renaissance-era facades, sand-covered ghost towns, sunflower-yellow train carriages…these are just a few of the aesthetically pleasing entities that have been deemed worthy to fall under the umbrella of ‘Accidentally Wes Anderson’. One of the most famous accounts on Instagram is now also an enchanting exhibition which is coming to London’s Old Brompton Road this December. You’ll journey through themed rooms that each showcase a different corner of the world, admiring over 200 photos curated by the team behind AWA and even taking a few Wes Anderson-esque photos of your own along the way.
Accidentally Wes Anderson first came to fruition in the summer of 2017, created by Brooklyn-based husband and wife Wally and Amanda. What started as a personal travel bucket list soon caught the eye of other travellers and creatives around the world, ultimately becoming a popular source of inspiration for many. Now, you don’t need to scroll through Instagram to witness the intriguing photography, you can experience it up close on canvas right here in London.
What can you expect at the Accidentally Wes Anderson exhibition?
The exhibition will feature a wondrous collection of pictures taken in Wes Anderson’s well-known style and aesthetic. Think beautiful images of scenery that range from craggy, sky-piercing mountains to golden sand dunes that disappear into the horizon, hypnotising photos of impossibly symmetrical buildings and delightfully quirky gems such as bold red cable cars and immaculately striped lighthouses.
You’ll be able to wander through 7 themed rooms which include transport, cities, nature, sports and, for all you sea-loving sailors out there, maritime. There’s even a special room dedicated to London – as it has so kindly hosted the exhibition – where you can peruse a selection of photos taken in the city and enter a competition with your own London AWA photos, with the possibility of them being featured on the walls. Plus, you’ll no doubt get Narnia flashbacks in the Doors room, as you explore a captivating collection of doors and more. They can be passages to new, spellbinding places or simply hold magic in themselves, with historic features, symmetrical designs or bold colours.
Be sure to bring along your cameras too (or phones will do) because there’ll be a variety of photo ops that are bound to get you snap happy, especially if you’ve been looking to juice up your Instagram. The exhibition has already had two previous successful iterations in Seoul and Tokyo and now it is London’s turn to enjoy its captivatingly kitschy delights.
Accidentally Wes Anderson is a must for fans of the iconic director, photography aficionados or even those of you who are looking to set off on your own cinematic adventure. Not only do you get to soak up a variety of colourful, symmetrical and satisfyingly neat pictures and projections, but you can plan your next travels across the world as you do so.
What better incentive to hop on a plane to the Land of Milk and Honey (aka Switzerland) than to check out their abundance of Wes Anderson-worthy funiculars or, for something closer to home, take a trip to Cambridge for mathematical bridges and storied libraries? Plus, if you’re a sucker for a good memento, you can swing by the shop to fill your boots with exclusive AWA merchandise.