This Thursday evening London’s coolest street-casting collective Anti-Agency opens a show of its models’ artworks with Girls Only, an ongoing boys-not-allowed exhibition series organised by young British curator Antonia Marsh. Expect a lot of beautiful people and a lot of beautiful objects crowded into the downstairs of Celestine Eleven, the supernatural superstore offering high fashion, smoothies and yoga classes in the heart of Shoreditch. And – as if that’s not enough – poet Amy Blakemore will be performing on the night, fashion photographer Bella Howard will be taking portraits, and Tatiana Kartomten will be dishing out stick ’n’ poke tattoos to anyone brave enough. We asked Antonia to tell us everything we need to know…
How should we convince our friends to come along?
'This should be easy. Girls Only exhibitions are always fun places to hang out and enjoy some art. We play music and all the artists pop in and out, it’s more like a tree house than a boring gallery space. It’s all you ever dreamt of thrown into one spot, Christmas come early!'
What lines should we drop on our way there?
'Anti-Agency coined this new kind of model, the Anti-Model. They don’t have size requirements or any of that malarkey, so for them modelling is much more about the personality and individual style of their models rather than whether they fit a size zero outfit.'
What should we say about the exhibition?
'All the artists in the exhibition are in their 20s and are working as models when they have time, to support themselves. What’s interesting is that these two career choices can be balanced, and one often informs the other.'
So how do the artists themselves describe their artworks?
'It’s poetry about what boys smell like.'
Amy Blakemore, 23, from South-East London
'A pink video.'
Arvida Byström, 23, from Stockholm
'A series of staged images inspired by the aesthetic of Google Street View.'
Violette Esmerelda, 23, from Amsterdam
'It’s the deconstruction of beauty via mediums and colours that are normally used to make something beautiful. Also might look like an acid trip.'
Nichole Fitch, 22, from Los Angeles
'I hope my work encourages reflection and calm.'
Billie de Melo Wood, 25, from Ladbroke Grove
'I’d say delicate and dreamy collages!'
Chiara Mottironi, 22, from Rome
'Carcinogenic cries of potent lies and third eyes opened to the small print...'
Ayesha Tan-Jones, 21, from London
*Ok then! Where and when?
It’s downstairs at Celestine Eleven from Friday to Sunday and it’s open from 11am to 7pm. The opening is Thursday from 6pm to 9pm and all are welcome!*
Like this? Then you might also be interested in:
This Artist Is Challenging Catcalling By Going Out In Public In Her Pants
Sculpture Unveiled Of The Madonna That Smells Of Vagina. On Purpose. No, Really.*
Follow Dean on Twitter @DeanKissick
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.