V is for VIRUS The Horror Show! Alphabet day 22. Nearly there. But The Horror Show! very nearly wasn’t anything. Just an idea that couldn’t be realised because of the pandemic. So it’s all the more exciting for us to now be just a few days away from the show opening. Some artists found ways to continue to work during the lockdowns, but for many who rely on collaborators or live audiences, it was impossible. We struggled. Few works in the exhibition refer directly to the global pandemic, but one that does is ‘Post Viral Fatigue’, a major new painting by @noel_fielding Another piece created during lockdown is ‘Cellular Amulet’, a protective sculpture by @colbertcharlotte . The amulet is inspired by the shape of white blood cells which form the immune system. She describes the piece as “a talisman holding an apotropaic function”. Corona isn’t the only virus to have impacted the country over the last fifty years. In our own lifetimes the impact of HIV and AIDS has been catastrophic. The heartbreaking @theaidsmemorial reminds us every day of the devastation caused and the lives lost. One artist who fearlessly addressed his own diagnosis in his work and public statements was Derek Jarman. He powerfully challenged the media representations of AIDS with openness, irony and defiance, until his final film, ‘Blue’, in which he approaches HIV as something to be endured not conquered. Artists continue to find their own ways to confront or simply navigate their individual situations. Oliver Sim’s @hideousbastard first solo record outside of @thexx is an unburdening, of sorts. He describes it as an explicit attempt to “free myself of some of the shame and fear that I’ve felt for a long time.” The single ‘Hideous’ discloses his experience of living with an HIV positive diagnosis from the age of 17. It’s a courageous and brilliant record, made all the more fabulous by the unexpected arrival of @jimmysomervilleofficial - Oliver’s handwritten lyrics for ‘Hideous’ feature in The Horror Show! The Horror Show! @SomersetHouse opens in 5 days Ticket link in bio Alphabet typography by @BarnbrookStudio #TheHorrorShow #NoelFielding #CharlotteColbert #DerekJarman #OliverSim