Artist and eco-feminist designer Nelly Ben Hayoun-Stépanian, is the headline artist of Art After Dark this March, the late-night arts programme created by cultural initiative Art of London. Set to inspire locals and tourists across Leicester Square to Piccadilly Circus, the artist has aptly named her project Piccadilly Un:Plugged. This three-night spectacle, which takes place in London, combines experiential elements to explore the cosmos during “galaxy season,” when distant galaxies are most visible. It also happens to align with International Women’s Day on March 8th and preempts the upcoming Lunar Eclipse five days later. Considering Nelly’s dedication to space and amplifying traditionally marginalized voices, we can’t help but wonder if the stars were aligned for this one.
With the help of scientists from SETI Institute, as well as avant-garde female, trans, and non-binary artists, the event will transform the city into a portal for space exploration. UV cat sculptures (inspired by Schrödinger’s quantum physics paradox), iridescent moon-rock sculptures and cutting-edge telescopes, will be joined by an immersive soundscape of heartbeats sent to the moon and back to Earth. Nelly has even included the heartbeats of the women of her Armenian family in the mix. This fusion of space and art is one of many such projects by the acclaimed artist. From surrealist artworks to being the founder of NASA’s International Space Orchestra (ISO), Nelly’s influence extends far beyond the art world. She is also the founder of the University of the Underground, a film director and collaborator with musicians such as The Savages, Kid Cudi, Sigur Rós, Beck, and The Prodigy. All of these elements lean into her oeuvre of bridging seemingly disparate disciplines and fields. Ahead of Piccadilly Un:Plugged, we caught up with the artist and delved into her groundbreaking work.
Inside Nelly’s World
It’s a Thursday morning, and the East London neighborhood of Shoreditch is bustling with typical traffic and students coasting between cafes. We escape the graffitied streets via a spiraling staircase that opens onto a rooftop of capsule-caravans à la creative spaces and art studios. Named The Village Underground, the quirky expanse of revamped tubular caravans and towering skyline is one of London’s oldest independent grassroot venues, and perfectly mirrors Nelly’s non-linear world and approach to her practice. Recognized by various publications as one of the world’s top designers shaping the future, the artist is a creative force known for blending science, art, and technology. As Nelly greets us from her art studio, the artist’s personality is on full display. Her bright fuchsia jumper and vintage trinkets scattered across shelves and tables seem to say: a free spirit lives here. Like the artist herself, Nelly’s Piccadilly Un:Plugged promises a carousel of gallery hops, workshops, and extended openings at some of London’s finest institutions. Making these worlds—often reserved for the privileged few— accessible to a wider audience, is what Nelly is all about.
“When we think about space, most of us feel that it’s inaccessible. But really, all we need to do is look up and realize our position in the cosmos,” she explains. For Nelly, space represents not just scientific achievement, but also a humbling perspective on humanity’s place in a vast universe. “Space should not be about flags and power. It should be about understanding that we are part of something much larger than ourselves,” she says. Since Louis Armstrong first landed on the moon, space exploration has been used to showcase national power and ideology, “like when Kennedy planted the American flag on the moon,” says Nelly. But over time, the narrative has shifted, with culture playing an increasing role. “Now, we ask questions like, ‘If we find life, how do we communicate with it?’”
The artist envisions a future where space is not dominated by national interests or corporate power but is an opportunity for curiosity and inclusivity. Advocating that the future of space exploration should be shaped by diverse voices, including queer, non-binary, and trans artists.“The people who have traditionally been considered a minority—those with disabilities, queer individuals, or those with mental health struggles—are actually the ones who are best equipped for space survival,” she argues. On the subject of who should be the first to return to the moon, Nelly is clear: “It should be queer people! We are the ones who can express ourselves in ways that will make us much more adaptable to space.” A key part of Nelly’s vision for space exploration involves rethinking its aesthetics. “When you look at space-related design, you often see gray, black, and white—very binary, monochrome colors,” she points out. The artist challenges this by exploring the potential for space to be reimagined with a more open and even queer lens.
Where it all Began
Nelly’s creativity stems from a lifelong love for creative experimentation. “My brain has never operated in the usual way,” she reflects, recalling her childhood antics of making sculptures out of sugar and using plaster to cover her grandmother’s hands. Her family’s strong ties to textile making, particularly in the wake of the Armenian Genocide, further influenced her artistic sensibilities, with her people’s legacy of intricate carpets, patterns and paintings continuing to inspire her throughout her life. At the age of twelve, Nelly’s family pooled together to purchase her very first camera; a pivotal moment that set the stage for a lasting passion for film and documentation.
Like many aspiring artists, Nelly’s professional trajectory took a bold turn after graduating from the Royal College of Art in the late 2000s. Faced with the abrupt end of university support, Nelly opened her own studio in 2009. It was through her studio collaborations and role as one of the creative directors at the nightclub Shunt, that the artist found her creative “partners in crime”. These experiences exposed her to the mechanics of curating unforgettable experiences, including her first experiential installation inspired by a sonic boom.
In 2017, Nelly combined her art practice with her background in experiential curation and nightlife by founding the University of the Underground, a tuition-free postgraduate institution based in underground spaces in London and Amsterdam. “We’re really about counterculture and nightlife — identifying it and working in collaboration with it within institutions,” she explains. The university is designed to push boundaries, combining elements of political theory, event design, and the analysis of institutions, with a focus on inclusivity. “Everything I’m talking about here is very much involved within the context of politics,” she adds, highlighting the intersection of art and activism. Through the university’s program, students not only learn to design events but also understand how to navigate politics to spark innovation. “You’re learning how to combine tools, from production to politics, and how to create spaces that are welcoming to communities that come from nightlife,” Nelly says.
Fostering new, pluralistic perspectives, the university’s prospectus sits nicely within its founder’s mission to shift power structures in academia and art. She has since been appointed “Ambassador for the Underground” by the independent artist republic Užupis. Her commitment to creative education also includes roles as a visiting professor at prestigious institutions like Yale and the Royal College of Art. Notably, Nelly was also named Designer of Experiences at the SETI Institute in 2013, where she has worked with leading scientists to bridge the gap between scientific exploration and creative expression.
“When you’re developing something that challenges power structures, you’re often put on the side of society. People will try to shut you down,” she observes. She points to the ongoing struggles of the trans community in the U.S. as an example, noting the strong reaction they face from those resisting change. For Nelly, preserving the work and voices of marginalized communities is essential, particularly when their activism provokes such strong opposition. “You know you’re doing something right when there is a really strong reaction from the establishment” she reflects.
One of the reasons why Nelly’s work fascinates is down to her willingness to put herself at the centre of “extreme fieldwork” in the name of research. Her investigations have led her to the abandoned Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, and even inside a Soyuz rocket capsule at the Baikonur Cosmodrome. “My working method is to go in situ at scientists’ research centers and design events that radically change their attitudes toward research for a non-scientific audience,” she explains. Nelly’s fearless approach to her work allows her to break through boundaries and limitations. “The key is not to be afraid of fear, but to either use it as a tool to push yourself further or to embrace it and understand what you need to overcome to get yourself further,” they conclude, highlighting a philosophy that sees fear not as a barrier, but as an integral part of the journey toward growth and innovation.
Nelly’s dual-heritage—Armenian and Algerian—has profoundly shaped her mission to democratize institutions like NASA, which have historically been closed off to many. Motivated by the suffering endured by her ancestors during the Armenian Genocide, Nelly has worked tirelessly to bring together disparate communities and bridge gaps caused by communication breakdowns. One of her most significant accomplishments is founding the ISO in 2013, a groundbreaking ensemble made up of NASA scientists from the Ames Research Center. The project emerged from an unlikely convergence of interests, starting with a trip to Chernobyl, where she took students to explore the consequences of technological failure.
“I was deeply inspired by the human infrastructure that led to the technological failure of Chernobyl,” she says. Seeing the effects of absent communication between parties in the same organisation, Nelly felt inspired to unite NASA’s decision makers and engineers in an orchestra. At the same time, she was listening to opera and Russian arias, particularly from the Red Army Choir. This influenced Nelly even further, and she encouraged her cohort of NASA scientists to sing Russian operatic tunes—a powerful way of fusing science, community and art. It was also a chance to reflect on the geopolitics involved in the development of space missions (in the context of the cold war). The orchestra’s world premiere was met with critical acclaim, hailed as a “masterpiece” by the Independent Cinema Office and described by The Guardian as “spine-tingling.” In 2016, the ISO performed at the legendary Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco, and later that year, they opened for Icelandic band Sigur Rós at the Hollywood Bowl.
Like the majority of her work, Piccadilly Un:Plugged presents a powerful message of love, compassion, and peace. It calls for humanity to reconsider its future across the cosmos. Notably, through the transformative lens of inclusivity, sustainability, and transnational thinking. “The Earth is sick at the moment,” says Nelly. “It’s been that way for a long time, and the way we tend to think about our futures is extremely limited.” For the artist, a hopeful approach rooted in care and inclusivity can open the door to solutions. “I hope this is the way humanity will think about the future. Whether in space or on Earth.”
Learn more about Art After Dark and Picadilly: Unplugged at artoflondon.co.uk.
interview. Raegan Rubin
