Ctrl.Alt.Shift Unmasks Corruption – The Exhibition Comics and Politics Exhibition
Lazarides Gallery (Shop at Lazarides), Greek Street, London
Experimental youth initiative Ctrl.Alt.Shift presents Ctrl.Alt.Shift Unmasks Corruption – The Exhibition, at Lazarides gallery’s Shop at Lazarides from 6 – 28 November. Supporting the launch of a new comic book anthology of the same name, the exhibition brings together an eclectic mix of politicized comic book and graphic novel work in a bid to politicise a new generation of activists through the medium of popular comic culture.
From Super Heroes to political autobiography, the comic book has long since offered a creative and subversive space to explore social and political issues. Ctrl.Alt.Shift has harnessed the power of this enduring and popular medium by commissioning an exhibition and comic book, exposing issues of global injustice in a contemporary and relevant way and motivating its audience to fight for change.
The exhibition will feature an eclectic and powerful range of political stories created by some of the world’s best comic and graphic artists such as Dave McKean, Pat Mills, Peter Kuper and Dan Goldman. It will also include a collaborative piece of work by acclaimed musician and writer Dev Hynes (aka Lightspeed Champion) and Luke Pearson, the winner of the Ctrl.Alt.Shift Unmasks Corruption Competition which ran back in August.
The Ctrl.Alt.Shift Unmasks Corruption anthology will be launched at a special VIP preview event at Shop at Lazarides on 5th November where guests will have the opportunity to buy original work created by artists involved with the project. Key pieces such as a selection of large scale comic-style collages by award-winning comic artist and film director Dave McKean (Mirrormask); sketches and drafts by Lee O’Connor and Pat Mills’ for their comic strip Stars; a dramatic seven-panel comic style adaptation by UK comic artist Paul O’Connell; and the photographs of documentary photographer Marcus Bleasdale which were taken during his devastating time in Congo, will be on sale – all profits will go directly to Ctrl.Alt.Shift.
In addition to a range of international and powerfully political comic strips on show, the exhibition presents an array of vintage comics. Superman visiting famine-ridden Ethiopia in 1986, Ronald Regan’s face superimposed on Captain America’s as part of the ‘Regan’s Raiders’ patriotic super heroes series and ‘I Am Curious, Black!’ which is Lois Lane’s exploration of race as she takes on the body of a black woman for 24 hours are examples of just a few historical gems to be discoverd.
A short programme of moving image and animation work inspired by the comics and politics theme will also be screened in the gallery, curated by onedotzero.
The Ctrl.Alt.Shift Unmasks Corruption anthology will be available to buy for £4.99 at www.ctrlaltshift.co.uk/unmaskscorruption and all good comic retailers from November. Profits from the 5,000 copies of the comic book will go to Ctrl.Alt.Shift.
For further information regarding the book, exhibition and competition, please visit: www.ctrlaltshift.co.uk/unmaskscorruption.
Aleksandar Zograf (Serbia),Alex Smith (UK),Ben Dickson and Warren Pleece (UK),Bryan Talbot (UK),
Cole Johnson (USA),Dan Goldman (USA),Daniel Merlin Goodbrey (UK) (online comic only),Dave McKean (UK),Dylan Horrocks (New Zealand),Ferry Gouw (UK),Floodworks (Ethan Ede / Adam Rosenlund) (USA)
Fredrik Stromberg and Jan Bielecki (Sweden),Gianluca Costantini and Elettra Stamboulis (Italy),Jason Masters (SA),Josue Menjivar (El Salvador / Canada),Lee O’Connor and Pat Mills (UK),Lightspeed Champion (UK),Marjan Sartrapi (Iran) (judging panel only, not featured in the comic),Patrick Dean (USA),
Paul O’Connell and Marcus Bleasdale (UK),Sean Michael Wilson and Michiru Morikawa (USA / Japan),
Vishwajyoti Ghosh (India),VV Brown, David Allain and Emma Price (UK),Woodrow Phoenix and Adele Austin (UK)
