Ebun Sodipo

Pretty Doomed

Pretty Doomed is an unconventional art fair and exhibition presented by Ugly Duck & Queer Art Projects, which seeks to challenge the sustainability of the underground and queer art worlds, from October 12–15, offering a glimpse into the world of alternative art during Frieze week.

6.30pm: Performance by Benjamin Sebastian

7.45pm: Deen Atger & Queer Art Project

8.00 pm: Performance by Alicia Radage

8.30 pm: Performance by Clementine Bedos

8.45 pm: DJ’s

9.30: Closing

Youngsook Choi, When the Sun Sets (detail), 2017

Pretty Doomed has emerged from the intricate interplay of various emotions: the feelings of doom, unsustainability, exhaustion, and financial constraint juxtaposed with the sensations of fabulousness, queerness, vitality, and alignment with our core values. Our aim is to scrutinise the sustainability of our art community, explore new economic possibilities, foster mutual support, and extend an invitation to audiences, collectors, and friends to discover artists and their works, potentially making acquisitions. Pretty Doomed features a group exhibition where each artwork is on sale and a three-day program of performances, artist talks, discussions, conversations, and film screenings. The exhibition will be set across four different spaces giving the audience the rare opportunity to discover all floors of Ugly Duck’s former Victorian factory.

Benjamin Sebastian, Untitled Photocopies I, 2010

Niya B, metamorphosis (installation detail), 2013

Ugly Duck is one of the few independent art venues that showcases queer and alternative art in London. Artist-led Queer Art Projects has the only online art gallery dedicated solely to queer art: qap.digital.

For Pretty Doomed, Ugly Duck and Queer Art Projects collaborated with VSSL, Kawai Agency, ]performance s p a c e [, Care-fuffle Working Group, qap.digital, and independent artists and collectives.

Participating artists are

Niya B, Mustafa Boğa, Nicky Broekhuysen, Elija Grybe, Nilbar Güreş, Chris Hawkes, Şafak Şule Kemancı, Tina Kohlmann, Adam Moore, Katarzyna Perlak, Alicia Radage, Sophie Seita, Victoria Suvoroff, Erdem Taşdelen, Funa Ye, ]performance s p a c e [ archive (keioui keijaun thomas, Bean), Benjamin Sebastian, Özlem Ünlü, Youngsook Choi, Tuna Erdem, Istanbul Queer Art Collective, Frances Whorrall-Campbell, Imogen Cleverley, Puer Deorum, Pamela Enyonu, Abigail McGinley, Erin Holly, Anya Palamartscuk, Magda Onatra, Ruiji Han, Hazel Blair, H. Alix Mourrier, Kasra Jalilipour, Feryel Atek, Susannah Pal, Rowan Riley, Peggy Huang, Daniel Felstead, Muzi, Finn Dovey, Bart Seng Wen Long, Yiwen Li, Chaney Diao, Juliusz Grabianski, Laura Kazaroff, Thom Grog.

Nicky Broekhuysen, There are No Sirens Here III, 2019

Tina Kohlmann, Antonin Alexander, 2019

Thursday 12 October Opening Night

6.30 Performance by Benjamin Sebastian

7.45 Deen Atger & Queer Art Projects

8.00 Performance by Alicia Radage

8.30 Performance by Clementine Bedos

8.45 DJ’s

9.30 Closing

Saturday 14 October

Friday 13 October

4.00 Artist talk with Tina Kohlmann

4.15 Artist talk with Nicky Broekhuysen

5.00 Artist talk with Youngsook Choi

5.30 Performance by Mijke van der Drift

6.00 Relaxed exhibition tour

7.00 Anti / Doomed Vegan Feast

9.30 Closing

3.00 Performance by InXestuous Sisters

4.00 Conversation / Archiving performance art

with Ash McNaughton's (]performance s p a c e [), Benjamin

Sebastian (]performance s p a c el), Marco Berardi &

Baiba Sprance, Mine Kaplangi as moderator

5.30 Performance by Tuna Erdem

6.00 Conversation / The Freedom of Doom

7.00 Performance by Elijas Grybe

Sunday 15 October

2.00 Conversation: Why are we doomed?

with Bart Seng Wen Long (Kawai Agency), Rebecca Marcus Monks (The Koppel Project), Tuna Erdem (qap.digital) & Jayson Mansaray (Founder of Print Prerogative)

3.30 Performance by Kell w Farshéa

4.00 Conversation: Lack of Accessibility & Sustainability

with Deen Atger (Ugly Duck) and Anita Wolska-Kaslow (Carefuffle Working Group) (BSL interpreted)

5.00 Closing performance by Adam Moore