Queer/in/g Nature, curated by the Socially Engaged Art Salon (SEAS), is a group exhibition of LGBTQ+ artists, depicting provocative negotiations with the natural world, with the Western and heteronormative concepts of ‘nature’ or ‘the natural’, and the environmental crisis. The exhibition, at the Ledward Centre in Brighton, is part of Brighton Festival and opens Saturday, May 7, 3-7pm.
The exhibition includes photography, short films, digital art, documentation of queer interventions in the countryside and a large-scale immersive room installation.
Participating artists include: Amber Akaunu & Elliss Thompson, Brody Mace-Hopkins & Raechel Teitelbaum, Gil Mualem-Doron (with Lya Abdou Issa aka BlkDimondDance, Liam King aka 7kid & Soma Taylor-Patel AKA 8SZN), Luc(e) Raesmith, Ludo Foster, Omer Ga’ash, Sarah Connell, Simon Olmetti and Tayo Adekunle.
SEAS say: “The participating artists do not subscribe to the dichotomy of nature/artificial and shy away from heteronormative ideas of LGBTQ+ identities as artificial and alien to the natural world. Some of the works in the exhibition critique the Western quantification and standardisation of bodies which historically has led to commodification and even to genocides.
“The countryside is used by some of the artists as a place to escape prescribed identities and acceptable codes of behaviour. Other artists use bodies, rituals and other physical interventions to queer nature.”
SEAS is an LGBTQ+, BPoC artists-led organisation that curates exhibitions and art events at the Ledward Centre and the BMECP.
The exhibition’s opening will include a free live dance performance by Lya Abdou Issa aka BlkDimondDance in Interweaving Spaces, a large-scale immersive installation by artist Gil Mualem-Doron. The performance will commence at 5pm.
The exhibition is part of Brighton Festival and has been supported by Art Council England and Brighton & Hove Communities Fund.
Lead Pic: Tayo Adekunle
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