DOES ANYTHING ELSE UNDER HEAVEN REALLY MATTER?

BRIAN DAWN CHALKLEY |  ELENA HOSKYNS-ABRAHALL | HESI GLOWACKI  | THEO VASILOUDES  |  KIARASH KHAZAEI

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OPENING: 29th MAY 2024 | 6-8 PM

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D Contemporary is please to present  the group exhibition ‘Does anything else under heaven really matter?’ curated by Will Coups.

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Loosely taking influence from Giovanni’s Room, the exhibition aims to explore an LGBTQIA+ perspective on how we interact with our bodies, sex, and image within the wider world. By drawing inspiration from the themes and emotional depth of Baldwin's seminal work, the exhibition seeks to unravel the complexities of identity and self-expression in contemporary society. It examines the often hidden interactions and subtle nuances of existence that define the LGBTQIA+ experience, decoding the myriad ways of being and understanding ourselves. Through five multidiciplinary artists,  the exhibition focuses on expressions based on real life experiences and provides a platform for voices and stories that challenge conventional norms, inviting viewers to engage with the intimate and transformative aspects of bodily autonomy, sexual identity, and personal image. It encourages a deeper reflection on how societal perceptions and personal experiences intersect, shaping our understanding of authenticity and visibility in a world that frequently imposes rigid expectations and judgments

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Navigating feelings of alienation and societal judgment, the exhibition delves deeply into tropes of loneliness and the complexities of the human condition within the LGBTQIA+ community. Through a diverse array of artistic expressions and narratives, it raises profound questions about what it means to truly belong. The exhibition examines the multifaceted impact of social and personal alienation on an individual's life, exploring how these experiences shape identity, self-perception, and the quest for acceptance. By addressing themes of isolation, resilience, and community, the exhibition invites viewers to reflect on the universal desire for connection and understanding in a world that often marginalizes those who deviate from societal norms

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The exhibition will showcase the work of Brian Dawn Chalkley, a visual and performance artist, storyteller and teacher. Formative in the trans community since the early 90’s, the artist is known for their performances as Dawn a leading role in London’s underground trans clubbing scene in the 1980s and ‘90s, a time when it was deemed unacceptable and perverse. 

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Alongside Chalkley’s works Theo Vasiloudes wil revel in the contradictions of navigating intimacy in contemporary gay life. Using archival histories and ephemeral histories of personal experience, he  examines how cruising – the queer practice of finding casual sex in public spaces – has shifted in the context of digital life. Looking at the network of interactions facilitated by the semi-public space of Grindr, Scruff and other location-based hook up apps, his interdisciplinary practice interrogates the role these apps play in structuring and mediating relationships within the queer community in ways that are simultaneously empowering and alienating.

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Hesi Glowacki creates compositions that imbue reality with elements of fantasy to indicate emotions and spirituality that underlie physical aesthetics. Glowacki's work focuses on themes encompassing memory, otherness, and trauma, spanning influences from personal experience, religion, popular culture and fashion.Asking  questions about the role ritual plays in today's experience and the nature of things and their transformation, hejuxtaposes the primitive with the contemporary and sets the cycles of deconstruction and repair placed on the borderline of fine art and artefact. 

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Elena Hoskyns Abrahall’s practice spans a wide variety of ideas and methods however they work predominantly in sculpture and performance, looking at themes relating to Gender, Identity Politics and Queer Theory. A narrative undercurrent often runs through their work, which they use as a framework for exploring a greater message or school of thought. Story-telling through performance and objects is key to Elena's practice. Looking at the world through the lens of abjection, Elena uses this as tool for exploring their human experience. Whether it be through objects or performance, the bodily and the repulsive become excellent tools for exploring the dysphoric nature of the human condition.

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Kiarash Khazaei’s paintings depict a choreographed array of artifacts, accessories, and architectural elements that suggest identity and meaning are collage-like constructions. Infused with  an aura of eroticism and decadence, and loaded with codes and double-meanings, the works explore the intricacies of self-identity while celebrating moments of transformation. Drawing on literary precursors like Georges Bataille and Jean Genet, Khazaei evokes the pleasures and limits of a queer vocabulary. This vocabulary, often seen as a space of resistance through double meanings and codes, is expanded by Khazaei to incorporate major motifs from the art historical canon.