Fantasy, Filthy and Fierce: Your Ticket To SHADOW-BAN at SHOWstudio

What do Peter Saville, Harley Weir and Nobuyoshi Araki all have in common? Yes, they're artists, but as they're all equipped with greatly differing practices, the invisible thread that binds them together takes on a new precedent in SHOWstudio's upcoming exhibition SHADOW-BAN, which features work by all three alongside an exceptionally star-studded line-up filled with the most exciting contemporary artists working today.

Including existing and new paintings, sculpture, film, photography and performances, Saville, Weir and Araki are joined by George Rouy, Ray Caesar, Oh de Laval, Emma Stern, Sonny Hall, Dinos Chapman, Michaela Stark, Miles Greenberg, Pierre Molinier, Simon Foxton and Von Wolfe, together with a collaboration with the Tom of Finland Foundation for a dazzling unrivalled showcase of illicit content in modern art. The reason? To cut through the insidious nature pervading many social media platforms under the guise of 'censoring and protecting'.

Alas, for all social media's faults, there's no denying that with the rise of the internet came a revolutionary shift for artists who now had the means to bypass the conventional format of relying on a gallerist to sell their work. This allowed for not only unfiltered visibility and possibility but also the rebellious act of being able to present their art on their terms. Such radical alterations meant artists now had the means to go global, all on their own accord; a cross-cultural exchange that undeniably continues to enrich us all. We are not anti-internet, we are anti-censorship, something that many social media platforms not only excel but delight in doing so.

As social media platforms grew, so too did the insidious mechanisms of control, meaning artists no longer were just censored for wanting their desires to be seen, heard and understood, they were shadow-banned; the worst form of censorship as it operates in the shadows, casting those who’ve expressed opinions aside while simultaneously obscuring the reasons behind the suppression, eroding a fundamental connection between artist and audience. It's this very battleground that sets the foundation of SHADOW-BAN an exhibition that, at its core, serves as a powerful reminder of the collective necessity needed to confront these challenges; ensuring that art continues to provoke, inspire, and connect in an increasingly mediated world.

In addition to the artist names mentioned above, SHADOW-BAN also includes a collaboration with the Tom of Finland Foundation, joining them in their mission to help protect and promote the next generation of queer artists. SHADOW-BAN will also open the foundation's annual Art & Culture Festival, taking place at SHOWstudio's very own Ebury Street address on Saturday 21 and Sunday 21 September. You can buy tickets for the festival here.

From provocative explorations of sex to bold commentaries on political turbulence, SHADOW-BAN isn't about bringing a selection of art together that's been censored online, it's about teasing the increasingly blurred line between 'what's accepted' and 'what isn't', focusing on the subtleties of sexuality and desire and the politics that stem from such themes.

SHADOW-BAN opens to the public on Friday 20 September until 15 November 2024.