INDUSTRY:
Art & events
COLLABORATORS:
Stoggaf, Hedonist
YEAR:
2023
EXPERIENCE:
Creative, Event design
Queer Hedonism
Overview.
I led the creative, art direction, curation and production of a temporary art exhibition, 'Perspectives on Queer Hedonism', open for just one day and night. Set underneath the railway arches in Brixton, amongst the set of a deconstructed bedroom - a significant environment to the shaping of queer identity - 22 artists shared their personal take on the theme.
In response to community discussions around the lack of queer spaces in London, we delved into hedonism’s historical impact on spatial queer culture, and its contemporary relevance in themes around protest, healing, identity and freedom.
Art pieces ranged from photography, sculpture, painting to poetry, performance and beyond reflecting a diverse range of ideas.
My Role: Creative, curator, co-producer. Co-produced with queer collectives Stoggaf and Hedonist.
Concept.
The exhibition curation was paired with a temporary set of a deconstructed bedroom all painted in white. The white aesthetic, nostalgic and canvas-like, was available for visitors to project their own reflections onto. The bedroom, a unique space privy to the most intimate moments of our lives, is a formative space, especially for the development of marginalised queer identities who may feel less safe to express themselves fully in public.
To break traditional barriers between art, event space and audience, multiple performances and talks activated the sets, and the space became a dance floor into the late night.
Impact.
Over 300 people attended this ticketed event. Organic press and social media coverage was generated through offering multiple collaboration opportunities.
Artists and performers: Madi Plunkett, Prishita Maheshwari-Aplin, Felix Chesher, Parks Sadler, Gerado Vizmanos, Theo Vasiloudes, Femtxt, Maria Helena Toscano, Florencia Magallanes, Niki Stevens, Yos Clark, Tasalla Tabasom, Max lee, Niv Fridman, Julieta Tetelbaum and more.
Further credits: Co-production, marketing - Stoggaf Collective, Seb Walker, Kieran Mason, Matt Dennis. Poster graphic design by Beatrice Sangster. Construction and lighting - Johnny. Funding - Seb Walker. Set build support: Alexia Vasilarou, Laura Henry, Becca Simpson, Maria Helena Toscano, Parks, Niv Fridman, Theo Vasiloudes. DJ: Dominic.
Concept sketch & floor plan:
