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Who doesn’t love cute things? But how much have you actually thought about how cuteness influences culture and society? A new exhibition at Somerset House is going to explore just that. ‘CUTE’, opening in London on January 25 2024, will look at all things cuddly, adorable and squashy, and examine exactly what makes them, well, cute.
Running until April 14 2024, the exhibition will look at emojis, memes, video games, toys, food and more. ‘CUTE’ promises to be ‘a landmark exhibition exploring the irresistible force of cuteness in contemporary culture’ which will ‘examine the world’s embrace of cute culture and how it has become such an influential measure of our times’.
It will bring together contemporary works from over 50 artists and contributors, as well as cultural phenomena from fashion, toys, games and the internet. Some of the contributing artists include Mark Leckey Sean-Kierre Lyons, Mike Kelley, Karen Kilimnik, Nayland Blake, Cosima von Bonin and Hannah Diamond.
In partnership with Japanese toy company Sanrio, ‘CUTE’ will also have an entire section dedicated to Hello Kitty, featuring a display of Kitty through the ages, a dedicated plushie space and a disco. Say kawaii!
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