Home of Metal opens its flagship exhibition Black Sabbath – 50 Years, which will run until 29th September at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery.
Launched at a star-studded party on Tuesday 25th June by Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler, the exhibition is the first of its kind in the UK, exploring the legacy of the band and their global fan base.
Black Sabbath – 50 Years brings together never-before-seen iconic artefacts and treasured personal items sourced direct from the band members. Highlights include Ozzy Osbourne’s crucifix, Tony Iommi’s home studio and outfits worn on stage at some of the band’s most infamous shows.
These are displayed alongside rare memorabilia, portraits and collections from the band’s devoted global fan base, including a recreation of super-fan Stephen Knowles’ living room, which is a homage to Black Sabbath. In addition, there is a display of over 3,000 portraits of Black Sabbath fans from across the world, showcasing the incredible breadth and diversity of the band’s loyal followers, including from Botswana, Indonesia, Japan, Lebanon and Brazil.
Created by Home of Metal, in collaboration with the band, and designer Morag Myerscough, one of the UK’s most acclaimed designers, this huge exhibition tells the story of Black Sabbath’s unique cultural legacy as pioneers of the cultural phenomenon, Heavy Metal.
Home of Metal: Black Sabbath – 50 years runs at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery until 29 September. The show is being presented in partnership with Birmingham Museums Trust. Tickets are available at www.homeofmetal.com
The show forms part of a season of exhibitions, which celebrate Birmingham and the Black Country as the birthplace of Heavy Metal. Partnered with organisations in and around Birmingham, including New Art Gallery Walsall and MAC, this summer’s Home of Metal programme features exhibitions and artworks from acclaimed artists including Alan Kane (UK), Ben Venom (US), Monster Chetwynd (UK), and Przemek Branas (Poland).
Further information is available on the full Home of Metal summer programme, including:
Alan Kane: 4 Bed Detached Home of Metal at The New Art Gallery Walsall, 22 June to 1 September. This replica four-bedroom house recreates the bedrooms of some of Metal’s most devoted super fans, incorporating a ‘Metal Lounge’ which features new work from Una Hamilton Helle and Mark Titchner, as well as contemporary artists Jeremy Deller, Des Hughes, Jim Lambie, Sarah Lucas, Jessica Mallock, Mike Nelson, Simon Periton, David Shrigley, Hayley Tompkins, Cathy Ward, Charlie Woolley and, of course, Alan Kane himself.
All This Mayhem at MAC (Midlands Art Centre), 15 June to 8 September. US artist Ben Venom uses traditional quilting and Heavy Metal aesthetics to create textile-based pieces which contrast the counterculture components of gangs, punk/metal music and the occult with the comforts of domesticity.
Hand of Doom at MAC (Midlands Art Centre), from 8 June to 1 September features a collection of portraits of Black Sabbath fans wearing the ubiquitous battle jacket. The jackets are embellished, handmade and embroidered by the fans themselves, and worn to tell the story of their fandom and gig-attending history.
Monster Chetwynd: Hell Mouth 3 at Eastside Projects, 18 May to 27 July. Chetwynd’s fascination with Penelope Spheeris’ three-part film series The Decline of Western Civilisation (1981 to 1998), featuring many of the ‘most influential and innovative musicians and groups of all time’, has informed many of Chetwynd’s works over the past decade and takes centre stage in this large-scale sculptural and performative spectacle set within this industrial space in the heart of Birmingham.
Przemek Branas at Centrala, 22 June to 11 August. Branas, an award-winning and acclaimed Polish artist, presents an archival and research based exhibition, featuring materials, such as letters, cassette tapes and zines, collected by Polish fans at a time when Heavy Metal music was banned in Poland.
Home of Metal is conceived and produced by Capsule, under the leadership of its founder and artistic director, Lisa Meyer.
Image courtesy of Jas Sansi
