Max HeyraudThis summer, Temporary Pleasure takes over Car Park 5 at the Barbican with Joyride—an ambitious reimagining of the car as both a symbol of cultural nostalgia and a vessel for sound, movement, and memory.
Rooted in the raw aesthetics and energy of early-2000s boyracer culture, Joyride explores the deep connection between UK car subcultures and the evolution of dance music. From garage and bassline to jungle and grime, these genres were born from DIY sensibilities, just like the boyracers who modified their cars in driveways and gathered in retail parks. The link between music and machinery runs deep: grime, in particular, has always been closely tied to car sound systems. Tracks were judged by how they hit in the car test, and the bass bleeding from custom subwoofers became a defining soundtrack of urban Britain.
At the heart of Joyride are four modified vehicles: The Tuner, The Lowrider, The Bimma, and The Boy Racer. Each one is reimagined as a sculptural sound object, forming part of a four-point sound system, designed in collaboration with crews of DJs, producers, and visual artists.
Together, these cars turn the car park into a dancefloor, merging 00s nostalgia with the DIY ethos of today. Joyride transforms salvaged vehicles into tools of expression and celebration.
