FOR YOUR PLEASURE: 15 YEARS OF DUOVISION Celebrating the fledgling queer club culture of the 90s in the UK

 

At a time when Section 28, a law introduced by Margaret Thatcher in the UK, made it criminal for local authorities and schools to ‘promote’ homosexuality, silencing the voices of queer people while the AIDS crisis tore through communities, queer people still danced, loved and came together to be themselves.   This new exhibition For Your Pleasure: 15 Years of DuoVision uses photography and film to reflect on that time and celebrate the fledgling queer club culture of the 90s in the UK. 

Adrian Friedli, Interim Director, Homotopia, explained to Queerguru ; With this exhibition, DuoVision takes the celebration of North West music from the 80s into the 90s. Having partnered with the fantastic DuoVision on The Holly Johnson Story, currently on display at Museum of Liverpool until 27th July 2025, Homotopia is delighted to support our long-term collaborators in this exciting and important project. An amazing show, and a significant event in marking the legacy of North West club and Queer culture.

Club culture was an integral and informative part of DuoVision’s world, as Martin Green is also a DJ and ran the influential 90s club Smashing. James Lawler also avidly frequented clubs in London and the North West. In this exhibition, DuoVision wanted to celebrate their dancefloor roots by exploring memories from the community they helped to build. The show includes photography by Marc Vallée, Jon Shard, Donald Milne, David Swindells and a film by Tim Brunsden, reflecting on DuoVision’s practice, commissioned by Open Eye Gallery. 

Curators DuoVision told us  “Once upon a time there were cities where squats were legal, rents affordable and old nightclubs sat empty. In these recession-hit places, kids from mixed backgrounds played and created together. Music was made, clubs were formed, boundaries were broken and great times were had. This was the UK in the early 1990s.’’

There actually can be no better time than now to celebrate the journey our queer community took to reach both equality and respect in light of the fact that it maybe under attack yet all over again.

 

Exhibition Launch: 30 January, 6 – 8 pm, Open Eye GalleryRSVP: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1203544878129Exhibition continues: 31 January – 9 March