“DRAG: Self-portraits and Body Politics” exhibition, at SouthBank Centre‘s Hayward Gallery (London), features the work of more than 30 artists who have used drag to explore or question identity, gender, class and politics, from the 1960s to the present day.
Alongside key figures such as Pierre Molinier, VALIE EXPORT, Robert Mapplethorpe and Cindy Sherman, the exhibition also includes self-portraits by a younger generation of contemporary artists who have recently embraced drag as an art form, including Adam Christensen and Victoria Sin.
Hunter Reynolds, Shhh (from Patina du Prey Drag Pose Series), 1990/2012. Courtesy of the artist, P.P.O.W and Hales Gallery
Rather than offering a linear or chronological narrative, this exhibition aims to present a multitude of voices that explore cultural shifts of the past 50 years and touch on topics that include the 1980s AIDS crisis and post-colonial theory.
Focused on photography but spanning a variety of other media, DRAG is accompanied by a programme of tours led by drag performers.
Ana Mendieta, Untitled (Facial Hair Transplants), 1972 (Estate print 1997). © The Estate of Ana Mendieta Collection, LLC Courtesy Galerie Lelong & Co. and Alison Jacques Gallery, London. Installation image: Michael Brzezinski
Featured Artists
Eleanor Antin, Oreet Ashery, Renate Bertlmann, Leigh Bowery, Genesis Breyer P-Orridge, Luciano Castelli, Adam Christensen, Francesco Copello, Jimmy DeSana, Rose English, VALIE EXPORT, Samuel Fosso, Lynn Hershman Leeson, Ann Hirsch, David Hoyle, Michel Journiac, Birgit Jürgenssen, Paul Kindersley, Suzy Lake, Robert Mapplethorpe, Ana Mendieta, Pierre Molinier, Tony Morgan, Hunter Reynolds, Cindy Sherman, Victoria Sin, Jo Spence, Sturtevant, Ulay, Martha Wilson, David Wojnarowicz & Jesse Hultberg, Ming Wong and Cerith Wyn Evans.
Cindy Sherman, Untitled # 360, 2000. Courtesy of the artist, Sprüth Magers, and Metro Pictures
DRAG: Self-portraits and Body Politics
21.08.2018 – 14.12.2018
Image 1: Victoria Sin, Cthulhu Through the Looking Glass, 2017. Courtesy of the artist
Discover: www.southbankcentre.co.uk
