Mark Leckey: O’ Magic Power of Bleakness, Tate Britain, London: 24 September 2019–5 January 2020

Composed as a son et lumière experience which unfolds over time, the exhibition combines new and existing work in an atmospheric, theatrical environment full of spectral sounds and visions.

At the heart of the exhibition Leckey creates a life-size replica of a motorway bridge on the M53 near where the artist grew up. This bridge, a recurring motif which has haunted Leckey’s work, becomes the setting for a new audio play. Focusing on a group of teenagers, the play is inspired by folklore, particularly stories of changelings and ‘fairy raids’, and by the artist’s own pre-adolescent experiences.

Moving image is a key aspect of O’ Magic Power of Bleakness, with new works shown alongside two seminal videos: Fiorucci Made Me Hardcore 1990 and Dream English Kid 1964 – 1999 AD 2015. Leckey’s breakthrough film montage Fiorucci consists of a compilation of footage from dance floors chronicling Britain’s underground club scene from the 1970s to the 1990s. In Dream English Kid memories of the artist’s life are explored through material found predominantly online, inspired by Leckey’s discovery of a YouTube video showing a Joy Division gig he attended as a teenager. Each film charts a key period in the artist’s life and in technological advancement, in particular the shift from analogue to digital.

Tate Britain

Millbank, London SW1P 4RG