Alex Billingham | Temporary Exclusion Zone

 Temporary Exclusion Zone sees gender-queer artist Alex Billingham work over our complex relationship with Nuclear Technology. Alex’s residency with Asylum will act as a bridge from their time with ESP’s Summer Camp to their theatrical show ‘Nuclear Tides’ at The Midlands Arts Centre on November 22nd . Allowing them time to absorb and reflect on the ongoing project while preparing for the next phase of the project.

Artists Statement: Reiterating the need for vulnerability while understanding that everyone is learning to be human together.

I’m a gender-queer artist based in the West Midlands working as a curator and performance artist. A graduate of Cumbria Institute of the Arts my work mixes performance, endurance, visual arts, low-fi tech, film and installation in an often visceral and physically exhausting way.

I’m intrigued by the points where technology and our fear of it meet. I have a particular fascination with the fetishization of Nuclear dread in Western media from a queer perspective and an obsession with outdated hopes for the future which all bleed into my work. Research and experimentation are at the core of my practice, learning any skills necessary to take the research forward. As my mobility gradually decreases due to a climbing injury, I push myself to see where the borderlines of my body are, repeating actions to form durational work.

I enjoy stripping away all my supports, both physically and psychologically, to leave a tender and violent performance. Touching on highly personal issues such as gender and body dysmorphia in a way the audience can easily relate to. I enjoy using analogue technologies to realize a low-fi visual style, binding grunge with glitter and grime to make beautifully dirty work. Using a mix of technology from homemade Theremins to Digital Synthesizers to recreate the Radiophonic soundscapes drawn from childhood memories of Dr Who, Quatermass and Children of the stones.

I work as associate curator for Vivid Projects Live program and as co-director of FailBetter, running their residency program. I’m a Black Hole Club alumnus and have recently joined Eastside Projects ESP. I’ve performed nationally for ]performancespace[ -Folkestone, Little Wolf Parade -Nottingham, Word of Warning -Manchester, and Edited Arts -London.

alexbillingham.co.uk