Some Shrine With Me: Holy Pop! at Somerset House

Somerset House in London presents Holy Pop!, an exhibition curated by Tory Turk that investigates contemporary fan-created shrines dedicated to deceased cultural figures. The show examines how devotees memorialize celebrities and icons through collected objects, photographs, sculptures, and ritualistic spaces—ranging from Marc Bolan’s memorial beneath a tree in Barnes to Prince shrines in private homes. Turk developed the concept after encountering online documentation of fan shrines and drawing parallels to her previous work archiving magazines and curating The Jam exhibition. The collection encompasses tributes to musicians including Aaliyah, Elvis, and George Michael, alongside unexpected subjects like anime characters and fictional figures. The exhibition explores themes of collective mourning, fandom as curatorial practice, and how ordinary collectors function as cultural custodians within museum contexts. Public shrines featured include Oscar Wilde’s grave in Paris, where communities continue gathering decades after the subject’s death. The project reframes fan devotion and material collection as legitimate forms of cultural memory and artistic expression.

Article original publié sur The Quietus — résumé généré par IA. Lire l’article complet sur le site source.