For immediate release

Marc Horowitz
The Centre for Improved Living
The Hayward Project Space
18 March – 13 April 2008

Feeling a bit flat? Life in a mess? Then The Centre for Improved Living at The Hayward is for you. Starting in March, American artist and comedian Marc Horowitz will transform the Project Space into his extraordinary Centre. There Horowitz will install a DIY television set where he will broadcast Me & You, a live talk show filmed and broadcast on the web and Southbank Centre’s website. Me & You will be taped three days a week (Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday), featuring a variety of guests, musical interludes, pre-taped segments and activities. Each show will address a common topic, taken from Horowitz’s TCFIL blog, such as “persuasion,” “distractions” and “messing up.”

When Me & You is not taping, Marc will be on hand for the duration of the show to host workshops at The Center. Workshops offered will include “How to start your own live talk show,” “Ways to get in a better mood” and “How to make killer sandwiches.” Past episodes of Me & You will also be available for viewing.

Horowitz’s work thrives on a makeshift, DIY aesthetic. His props, objects and ideas encourage exchanges of laughter, provocation, problem-solving and, ultimately, improved living. From a swap shop ‘trading post’ to one-on-one life coaching sessions, Horowitz is committed to life enhancement as an artform and describes The Centre For Improved Living as “a collaboration, a think tank, a place to daydream, a place to ‘shake it off,’ and a place to embrace individuality and the idea that the world around us is a place of infinite possibilities.”

Horowitz’s recent projects include The National Dinner Tour. While working as a photo assistant, Marc wrote “Dinner w/ Marc 510-872-7326” (his name and REAL cell phone number) on a dry-erase board featured in a home office shoot for a Crate & Barrel catalogue. The catalogue containing his personal invitation to dinner was mailed out to millions across the USA. Immediately his phone started ringing from curious callers. For over a year, Marc travelled the country wining and dining with the respondants. This eventually lead to People Magazine naming him one of their ’50 Most Eligible Batchelors.’

To take part, come and meet Marc in The Centre for Improved Living at the Hayward Project Space.

Marc Horowitz: The Centre for Improved Living
18 March – 13 April 2008
The Hayward Project Space, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road. London. SE1 8XX
Admission: Free
Opening Hours: 10am – 6pm, Late nights until 10pm Friday

Note to Editors
Southbank Centre
Southbank Centre manages the Royal Festival Hall, The Hayward, Queen Elizabeth Hall and Purcell Room, as well as the Saison Poetry Library, the Arts Council Collection and Hayward Touring Exhibitions on behalf of Arts Council England. It attracts more than 3 million visits annually. The Royal Festival Hall reopened in June 2007 following a major refurbishment of the Hall and redevelopment of the surrounding area and facilities

The Hayward Projects Space
The Hayward Projects Space, which opened summer 2007, showcases the best, up-and-coming contemporary artists from the UK and internationally, many of whom have not shown in the UK before. Admission is free.

For further PRESS information please contact Gillian Fox, Visual Arts Press Officer, on 020 7921 0631 or gillian.fox@southbankcentre.co.uk

ADDITIONAL NOTE:
Every Sunday, TCFIL will be doing “The Floor is Yours!” Basically, Marc will open the make-shift television studio he’s created, using 3 VHS cameras and video mixers from the early 90s, to the public. London’s first Public Access? Indeed! Folks will be able to use the studio to film and broadcast their own show. Here’s how it works. Marc will have a sign-up sheet at the Hayward Gallery where folks can sign up for 15-30 minute slots. They will come in on Sunday and Marc, managing all the tech stuff, will broadcast LIVE on the You & Me Talk Show web channel, which by the way is http://www.ustream.tv/channel/meandyou. This is the same address I will broadcast my show every Wednesday and Saturday at 4:30 – 5:30 and Friday from 7:30 – 8:30.