Some may remember Leigh Bowery for running the debauched nightclub Taboo in the mid-1980s. Known for its extremely tough entry policy (Berghain who?), door bitch Marc Vaultier would hold up a mirror to hopeful clubbers and demand: Would you let yourself in?
Once inside, you couldn’t miss Bowery spinning around on the dancefloor, crashing into fellow dancers and towering over everyone (he loved being as tall as possible). This is where he showed off his latest fashion creations, often made up of meticulously sewn sequins, fetishwear or bright paint drips on his shaved head. He pushed the body to its limits, using belts or safety pins to distort his skin to create something entirely otherworldly – he once declared ‘flesh is the most fabulous fabric’. Tate Modern’s exhibition will explore how Bowery used textiles, gender play and performance to push the boundaries of what is conceived as ‘normal’ and accepted.
Each room will be themed around key spaces in Bowery’s practice – the home, the club, the stage, the street – to highlight how he blurred the boundaries between art and life. Visitors will get a close-up look at his original outfits, accessories and personal archive, with many items on display for the first time.
The exhibition also celebrates collaboration, a central part of Bowery’s work. He inspired and appeared in experimental films by John Maybury and Charles Atlas, and worked closely with post-punk choreographer Michael Clark to design outfits for the stage. A section will be dedicated to his friendship with painter Lucian Freud, who famously painted Bowery nude to capture his raw, surprisingly vulnerable presence.
And, of course, visitors will be able to experience Bowery’s iconic ‘birthing’ performances. In these surreal, gender-bending acts, Bowery would ‘birth’ his best friend and longtime collaborator, Nicola Bateman, hidden under his elaborate outfits. With Bowery screaming and legs flailing, Nicola would emerge from a Velcro vagina, complete with sausages for an umbilical cord. These performances were shocking, hilarious and unforgettable.
It has been 30 years since Bowery’s untimely death of an AIDS-related illness on New Year’s Eve, 1994. But his legacy can be felt everywhere today, from alternative drag and contemporary performance art to the fashion collections of Maison Margiela, Rick Owens and Charles Jeffrey LOVERBOY. His influence is particularly alive in the work of Alexander McQueen, who sat in the audience of Bowery’s final performance at Soho’s Freedom Café. Bowery not only birthed Nicola but seemingly a whole new generation of freaks, clubbers, and people living life on their own terms. Tate Modern’s exhibition will be a rare opportunity to step into that world.
By Jessica Baxter
Leigh Bowery! at Tate Modern 27 February – 31 August 2025
All images supplied by Tate Modern.
