Vinca Petersen: Make Social Honey – A Collective Search for JOY

29 Jan-2 May 2022

Overview

Make Social Honey presents new and existing work by internationally renowned photographer, installation, multimedia and performance artist Vinca Petersen. Her work emerges from a deep understanding and commitment to social and political engagement with underrepresented communities in order to give them a voice and recognition. 

For over 30 years Petersen has created an important body of work that shines a light on Britain’s politically divided society through her unique position organising and documenting the emerging rave scene across Britain and Europe in the 1990s.

During the exhibition Petersen will be active in the gallery archiving her monumental image collection unearthing previously unseen images. Alongside her own images, the exhibition will include documentation from a series of ‘actions’ undertaken in the space with community groups from across Sunderland exploring their own collective JOY – be it through sea swimming, meditation or choir singing.

The exhibition asks us to consider where can JOY be found, is JOY a subversive act within our capitalist society, and how can we come together again after a long period of restrictions and social isolation.