Rob Crosse at Auto Italia
February is LGBTQ+ History Month, and with every celebratory or remembrance event that takes place in the calendar, there is always a tug-of-war between looking back and looking forward. Arguably, at a time where basic rights cannot be assumed a 'given', it is tempting to keep pushing forward and work out solutions to the issues presenting themselves. Berlin-based artist Rob Crosse's current exhibition at Auto Italia is a gentle, respectful, mindful experience of looking back, reminiscing and mourning, whilst also promoting ideas for what a progressive future might look like. Here, queering the institution, the gallery, and the housing system is done in a trifold manner. We live in a fast-paced world, but the slowness of Crosse's 24-minute film, Growing Wild, (which lends its name to the exhibition) reminds us to slow down and invest time in listening to each other, especially those with lived experience, knowledge, and ways of living that are different to our own. In...
