CRUSH

Crush is an exhibition about desire and queer social exclusion while the multiple meanings of the word are explored. Crush is not only about feeling lustful and passionate, but also about feeling crushed, rejected and outcast – a narrative so often lived by LGBTQI+ identifying groups. In this sense, Crush navigates some queer perspectives born from a place of fear and anxiety, and in the face of rejection and in adversity, continues to look towards a future of connectivity. Crush reflects multiple journeys and speaks through more than one voice as the works in the exhibition examine freedom, identity, sex, sexuality, power and control as well as the complex array of emotions triggered by these structural narratives. Crush is curated by British artist Alana Lake who currently lives and works in Berlin. Lake studied at the Royal Academy of Arts, London, and Crush is an extension of her ongoing research project Pleasure Drive that explores the relationship between art and psychoanalysis. The exhibition is organised by the Finnish Institute in Germany, in collaboration with FELD+HAUS Projects and Frontviews, kindly supported by Blue Planet.