The Oscar Wilde Temple
David McDermott & Peter McGough
Studio Voltaire, 1A Nelsons Row, Clapham, SW4 7JR
3 OCTOBER 2018 - 31 MARCH 2019 Free
McDermott & McGough have worked collaboratively since 1980, achieving notoriety in the bohemian downtown quarters of New York. Immersive and poignant, The Oscar Wilde Temple is their first-ever institutional exhibition in the UK and has been twenty years in the making.
The figure of Oscar Wilde holds great resemblance for the artists, as one of the earliest advocates for gay liberation, and one of the most famous men who were persecuted for their sexuality. A large statue of the famous writer is positioned centre stage at the back of the venue, elevated onto a podium and surrounded by flowers. The venue itself is an old Victorian chapel, used once for ceremonies such as marriage, however, quite obviously not for people such as Wilde. When I first arrived, I thought that the space was kept in its original state: all period wallpaper and old oaky smells, however, after further research I found out that this was all recreated to reflect Wilde’s lifestyle at the time: elegance and vintage charm.
Behind the statue of Wilde to either side are portraits of people punished for their sexuality and beliefs, many of which murdered. The variety of people here was incredibly diverse, from Marsha P. Johnson, a drag performer and sex worker from Greenwich village, to Alan Turing, an English mathematician who helped to crack the Nazi Enigma Machine during WW2. One person which particularly stood out was Jody Dobrowski, a homosexual man who was brutally murdered on Clapham Common in 2005. This was a landmark case in Britain, where Section 146 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 was utilised in sentencing the killers. The Act empowers courts to impose tougher sentences for offences motivated by the victim’s sexual orientation.
Wilde is here used as a metaphor for the wider LGBT+ community, who continue to grow, and continue to have to defend themselves against various forms of discrimination. Across the left hand wall are portraits of Wilde through all the stages of his case: from arrest, through to trial and eventual imprisonment. Wilde is depicted in these illustrations as stoic; still in his best dress whilst he sits casually in his cell. Along the other wall are various artworks, including one made up of derogatory words towards homosexual, such as ‘pansy’, ‘homo’, ‘faggot’ and ‘cocksucker’. Whilst the exhibition works in a way as a remembrance of Wilde himself, and various other LGBT+ victims from history, it also serves as a reminder that the fight is not over, and the struggle remains strong.
A small but strong room, open to all, and definitely worth a visit. An education for everyone, from those who know very little about the LGBT+ community, to active members of it today engaging and fighting the battles which remain. I was slightly disappointed when I found out that the setting wasn’t in its original state, but I guess that’s just a credit to the artists: for making me believe that it was.
OVERALL RATING: ***
https://www.oscarwildetemple.org/
