We've literally been counting down the final days until the closure of the popular queer nightclub and cabaret venue was scheduled to close down permanently, a closure that was announced way back in July of this year. But now, just six days before that final bow, the Chronicle reports that Oasis will actually be staying open, thanks to a last-second, multi-million-dollar gift from Bay Area arts benefactors.
A nondescript door on Kingsland Road opens up into a luxurious multi-room space, which designer Domhnall Nolan has filled with plush fabrics, soft lighting, mirrored fireplaces, leopard-print carpets, chequerboard floors and plaster busts. It pays homage to 20th century cabaret clubs whilst still remaining modern and fresh. In short, it's sexy.
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.
