Name: James Hollands - Artist Talk
Start: 2026-02-21T11:00:00+08:00
End: 2026-02-21T12:00:00+08:00
Location: Albany Town Hall

Join artist James BL Hollands for an in-depth queer TED talk about the creation of The 82 Abettors of the Zeewijk.
Hollands will talk about his history, from his early start in ACTUP London to making underground films with drag queens and industrial musicians, to running the UK’s “Home of the Avant Garde”, The Horse Hospital, to showing his own work in the Tate Modern and Liverpool and Prague Biennials. Hollands will discuss the queer perspectives and creative processes that inform the exhibition in the Festival - from reimagining the abandoning of the sailors of the 1727 Zeewijk shipwreck to transforming film stills into luminous, haunting portraits, and how an idea by local lighting designer Luke Simpson brought this exhibition to life. He will delve into how themes of complicity, visibility, and the queer dead shaped this powerful body of work.
This talk offers an opportunity to hear directly from a compelling regional artist as he explores the historical, artistic, and emotional layers behind one of the Festival’s most exciting exhibitions

🎟 Free - Registration required | Age: All welcome

Accessibility:
• ACROD parking is available on York Street and in the Library car park.
• Ramp and accessible entry available at the front of the Hall.
• Event will take place on the ground floor.
• Accessible toilets available. Bathrooms will be gender neutral for the duration of the Festival.
• Lighting will be bright, noise will be moderate, amplified speaking.
• Seating will be available.

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Refunds:
Registration will be in high demand, and we understand plans can change at short notice. For convenience and to allow others to attend, you can arrange your own refunds and ticket swaps until 10 am on the day of the event via the ticketing link emailed to you upon purchase.