American curator Ashley Middleton questions how cultural values shape collective behaviour and individuals’ identity-formation in East London show.
How do sociocultural expectations and political pressures affect individuals’ behaviour and understanding of oneself? This is the urgent but immense topic that New York curator Ashley Middleton attempts to grapple in her group show The Salamander Devours its Tail Twice, taking place at Gallery 46 in East London. Middleton was inspired to do this show through her own journey of leaving New York City and settling in London. She experienced directly what it means when conflicting pressures of different cultures influence who you are as a person. The show includes 26 visual artists who approach the topic with curiosity and self-criticism. These are the crucial factors that make the vast thematic of the show feel satisfyingly unpacked into tangible examples.