In the Withdrawing Room is an invitation into a speculative world where Reality TV is considered art, not ‘trash culture’. Gemma Collins has replaced your nan’s framed print of Van Gogh’s Sunflowers. Terrace House has an exhibition in Tate Modern. Reruns of The Simple Life have replaced Newsnight on the BBC. You may think that the world has gone mad, but the signs have been there all along. From sociological roots and humble beginnings, to conversations of class and exploitation, and now Kylie Jenner’s (questionable) billionaire status - the popularity of Reality TV has influenced everything, be it for better or for worse. Calling it ‘trash’ is no longer an option, it’s time to rethink our opinions, take a closer look at its cultural importance and leave our guilt behind. 

​

So, we ask you to pop your head into our virtual living room. It’s a familiar scene, filled with crap IKEA furniture your flatmate said they could put together, a sad looking house plant that you always forget to water and countless cold cups of forgotten tea. Here, despite the comfortable furnishings and recognisable decor, the familiar sight of your screen means something different; you’ve got an art gallery in your living room (or on your laptop at least). In this space, Reality Television has been given a platform, free from judgement and preconceptions. Now, it’s an established artistic practice - a cultural marker and a form of cultural commentary - and it deserves your undivided attention.

​

Through a compilation of commissioned digital artworks, we’re exploring this parallel universe; somewhere your parents no longer refer to Reality TV as “the worst of humanity”. We’ve replaced your unframed posters and dusty charity shop finds with digital art that responds to some of the most awful, extravagant and entertaining cultural moments that Reality TV has borne. This is an invite to reposition its status and understand its influence. Make yourself at home; these rooms are for everyone. Sit back, relax and reflect.