Moroccan artist Soufiane Ababri’s commission, Their mouths were full of bumblebees but it was me who was pollinated, explored questions of desire, queerness, and diaspora.
In what was his first exhibition at a major UK institution, Ababri transformed The Curve in a site-specific work. Uniting drawing, performance and installation, he challenged the dominance of Western narratives in queer history.
The exhibition highlighted how The Curve’s shape reflects the Arabic letter Zayin (ز), the first letter of the word ‘zamel’, a derogatory term for gay men, whose buzzing sound is used to insinuate the slur without voicing it in Morocco. Zamel’s evolution from originally meaning close friend shows how homophobia threatens not only same-sex sexuality, but restricts the possibility of radical friendships.
With drawings that explored diasporic queer experience and queer nightlife as a space for collective and personal emancipation, the show wass an act of reclamation that subverted architecture, language, and histories.
With special thanks to the dancers involved in the performances:
Jordan Ajadi
Sarah Baugstø
Dak Mashava
Marie-Astrid Mence
Jayla O'Connell
Louis Partridge
Akshay Sharma
Content note
Please be advised that some works in this exhibition contain illustrated nudity, and that low-level haze is used in the exhibition.
Live performance
Soufiane Ababri: Performance
Join us in The Curve on Sun 30 June for three live performances at 2pm, 3.30pm and 7pm - space is very limited so book tickets in advance to avoid disappointment.
Book your ticket for the performance
Book your ticket for the performance
To mark the closing of the exhibition, a series of dance performances will take place in The Curve on Sun 30 Jun.
Developed on-site by Soufiane Ababri in collaboration with Guillaume le Pape, this performance piece reflects on the politics of queer nightlife and themes of marginalisation, resistance and community.
We delve into the nuanced realities of LGBTQIA+ clubs and raves, underscoring how the promise of acceptance and freedom often coexists with societal inequalities. It's a striking call to action that prompts us to collectively rethink how we create and navigate spaces of belonging and resistance.
Performance timings - Sun 30 Jun
2—2.20pm
3.30—3.50pm
7—7.20pm
Spaces are very limited, so please book ahead to avoid disappointment.
Click through to book here.
In conversation: Soufiane Ababri
Soufiane Ababri: In Conversation
Artist Soufiane Ababri discusses his exhibition 'Their mouths were full of bumblebees but it was me who was pollinated' with Curator Raúl Muñoz de la Vega.
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The Curve
Location
The Curve is located on Level G and can be found at the bottom of the Silk Street entrance ramp, opposite the Barbican Shop.
Address
Barbican Centre
Silk Street, London
EC2Y 8DS
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