Music is at the heart of so many of our lives, whether it’s something we listen to, create or experience together. FACT is delighted to present LOCAL SUPERSTAR II, a new exhibition that explores this idea through music, sculpture, film and digital animation by artist Seema Mattu. The exhibition follows the formation of Saheli, a sonic entity of five South Asian queer women: Lagnajita Mukhopadhyay, MANI JNX, Ushara Dilrukshan, Zahrah Hutton and Seema Mattu. The work’s focus on sonic joy, musicality and collectivity stems from Seema’s personal experience of musical congregation as seva – Sanskrit for selfless service.

Within the gallery, we are invited to board a tour bus. Inside the bus, a series of films follows Saheli from auditions and rehearsals to interviews and jam sessions, as well as introducing us to a wider cosmology of different worlds, deities, and a sonic council. At the front of the bus, interactive instruments invite us to make music alongside the band through a new game, joining Saheli on their journey and helping to create an evolving sonic landscape.

LOCAL SUPERSTAR II marks the mid-point of this journey, as Saheli explore what it means to make music together. The exhibition offers music as a space for creativity, collaboration and congregation, while revealing the complexities of working collectively: from decision-making and care to creative freedom. For Seema, ‘superstardom’ means much more than typical global fame – instead, it is the magic of being close to ideas as they brew and spark at a local level, specific to their environment and the people who nurture them.

Together, the group creates an ever-growing musical archive shaped by everyone who takes part, reflecting the many identities, experiences and perspectives that make up a community. Pick up a gallery guide when visiting to explore Seema’s wider creative world, where she explores and subverts systems of caste, queer desire, and the ways technology continually reshapes identity.

For more details visit: FACT

Access:

All of our participating venues except The Vault have level access and accessible bathrooms. Contact [email protected] if you have any access queries or concerns we can help with.