London- What does it mean to be hardcore today in an increasingly overstimulated society? Numbed to shock value and vulgarness, how can we reassess the semiotics of sex to reveal the sexual truths of our time? ‘Hardcore,’ a group show on display at Sadie Coles HQ (Kingly Street), has taken a long hard look at the power dynamics of sex, its implications in intimacy, and our diverse reaction to it. It includes works from 18 artists, including Monica Bonvicini, Bruce LaBruce, and Cindy Sherman. In an accompanying essay entitled ‘Hardcore,’ written by Reba Maybury, also known as Mistress Rebecca, an artist, writer, and political dominatrix, Maybury writes:
“Discomfort links arms with curiosity. Pleasure holds hands with disgust.”