Iconic Documentary, "Desire Inc.," Returns in New Exhibit
Exploring desire, agency and more in the digital age.
UK-based contemporary art gallery 243 Luz pays homage to an iconic documentary in its latest exhibit, “Desire Inc.”
First presented in 1990, the video work by American artist and filmmaker Lynn Hershman Leeson ”subverted the language of advertisements to explore agency, voyeurism and the construction of desire in the late-broadcast era,” the show notes read.
On display until August 30, 2025, the series originally debuted on late-night television — without any context. Featuring bold and captivating visuals without context, the move drew attention and still is three decades later. Thirty-five years after its debut, “the work stands as a key account of televisual hegemony and the shift toward decentralized, internet-based media,” 243 Luz stated.
In this exhibit, artists Lizzy Deacon, Ruth Angel Edwards, Susanne Oberbeck and Niina Ulfsak continue the exploration of “Desire Inc.,” down to that seductive red lip couch. Here, they explore through the lens of “participatory media, self-surveillance and the commodification of intimacy.” The gallery is transformed into a viewing experience that allows attendees to immerse themselves for the first time ever.
Visit “Desire Inc.” until August 30.
243 Luz
243 Northdown Rd, Cliftonville
Margate CT9 2PN
United Kingdom
In other art news, the “AUDACITY” group show explores the female gaze. Elsewhere, Naïka collaborates with fashion label Jimmy Choo for her latest visualizer.
