The Russian Ghanaian artistLiz Johnson Artur presents a photographic record of PDA, a hugely popular queer Black club night held monthly in a Hackney basement in east London from 2011 to 2021. (PDA is thought to stand for Public Display of Affection or Please Don't Ask.) "Combining both glamour and a spirit of chaos, PDA offered a world away from the conventions and systems upheld by the UK's patriarchal imperialism,"
For more than three decades, Liz Johnson Artur has photographed the people I'm with a characteristically modest expression that belies the radiance, intimacy and unshowy brilliance of her pictures, an extraordinary archive numbering thousands of images that celebrate beauty, resilience, community and resistance. Intimate and alive, her photographs often shot on the fly, in streets, nightclubs and living rooms pull you right into the moment, just before it disappears for good.
The evening began with group meditation and collective screaming, providing an outlet for shared rage against injustices faced by the queer community.