With Blackpool Pride on the horizon its with some glee that I see more than the usual camp and glitz on offer in our town. Following the recent announcement of Hayley & Me, a show exploring the trans topics, new contemporary visual arts space ICW… is presenting Provocations, a group exhibition of LGBTQI+ artists from across the UK.
Co-curated by Blackpool based artist and curator Garth Gratrix alongside Manchester’s Jez Dolan, the show features work from 13 artists in the new space which has been supported by Abingdon Studios and East Street Arts.
The exhibition, which is to be the largest group show of LGBTQI+ artists Blackpool has ever received, includes work from a plethora of acclaimed artists. It features the likes of Neil Kendall, who has had his photographic stills featured in Vogue and Stuart Semple, who recently received press coverage for creating the Blackest Black Paint in response to Anish Kapoor.
Speaking ahead of the exhibition Garth said: “We are pleased to be able to have space in Blackpool that can independently showcase a larger exhibition of queer art being made by LGBTQI artists living and working in the UK today.
“It’s exciting to see artists from London, Birmingham, Nottingham, Manchester, Liverpool and Newcastle involved in new arts spaces in Blackpool; it shows we are still a place to come and take risks and experiment.
“We hope people find the show interesting, curious and a little be queer; like the world we live in.”
Provocations opens Thursday 1 June from 6-8pm for a preview and then is open 9-11 June from 11am to 6pm or by appointment. ICW… is on the corner of Church Street and Market Street in the old Millets shop space. For more information visit the Facebook event.
