Artist and filmmaker Rachel Maclean will curate a major exhibition at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, Too Cute! Sweet is about to get Sinister, opening on 26th January 2019.
The artist known for her distinctive satirical films will examine the world of cuteness by curating works from the Arts Council Collection and Birmingham’s collection to reveal how objects and images can have the unique ability to be simultaneously sweet and sinister. An opening film has also been created by Maclean to introduce the themes of the exhibition.
Running from Saturday 26th January to Sunday 12th May 2019, the exhibition will be the ninth and final Arts Council Collection National Partnership exhibition held by Birmingham Museums Trust.
Maclean’s display will showcase the multiple manifestations of sinister cuteness with works ranging from 19th-century oil paintings to internet-inspired installations. Artists include John Isaacs, Ana Maria Pacheco, Helen Chadwick, Paula Rego, Jordan Baseman and Glenn Brown.
From adult onesies to bunny ear photo-filters, there is an overwhelming presence of cuteness in contemporary society. Through the exhibition Maclean will ask why we feel the need to share and reproduce cute things, as well as question the fine line between cuteness and creepiness.
The gallery will be transformed with the artist’s signature colourful style and accompanying the exhibition will be an interpretative video with a twist! ‘Dr Cute’ - a grotesque Care Bear-like creature played by Maclean - will present a short lecture on the themes explored in the show, whilst being repeatedly distracted by its contents. The doctor will attempt to put forward an academic account of cuteness and its affects, but will be constantly hindered by sudden emotional responses, as artworks incite reflexes of love, repulsion and fear.