Don’t Look Back: Re-Imagining Nostalgia,

Defiance and Collective Experience at Unit

24 September – 26 October 2025

Curated by Sigrid Kirk & Beth Greenacre

Unit presents Don’t Look Back, an energetic, multi-layered exhibition that channels the raw creative drive of

the 1990s and early 2000s – an era defined by bold, irreverent gestures – into today’s world. In a time

marked by uncertainty and cultural pause, that same urgency feels vital now, with Don’t Look Back tapping

into a renewed impulse to make, to gather and to act. Through painting, sculpture, performance and

installation, the exhibition brings together a cross-generational group of artists whose work captures the

restless momentum of collective creativity.

Curated by Beth Greenacre and Sigrid Kirk, the exhibition re-examines the ‘90s & Noughties through a

contemporary lens – one that is more inclusive, diverse, and alive with possibility. Don’t Look Back

celebrates the vitality, grit and humour found across different communities at that time, and how that spiritcontinues to evolve in its embrace of queer voices, powerful female identities and broader expressions of

individuality that stretch far beyond the laddish narratives often attached to the period.

The curators note, “With Don’t Look Back, we set out to create a defining cultural moment that reflects on

the evolving legacies of the 1990s and 2000s while looking decisively forward. Staged like a multi‑gig event,

it rips up the rulebook on what an exhibition can be, reimagining that era’s defiance through today’s

expansive artistic expressions. It avoids nostalgia for nostalgia’s sake, instead foregrounding

experimentation, humour, and the idea of a living legacy.”

At the time, artists like Sarah Lucas, Tracey Emin, Richard Billingham and Gavin Turk pushed

boundaries in visual art, confronting norms with playful irreverence and raw honesty. While this convergence

of art and music was quickly courted by New Labour’s “Cool Britannia,” it also sowed seeds of defiance

and DIY experimentation that artists continue to build on today. Don’t Look Back questions how these

legacies endure, reimagined through more intersectional and inclusive lenses.

The exhibition structure reflects the charged atmosphere of a live gig, with audiences moving through

spaces that echo the momentum of a live performance, from grassroots creativity and the collective energy

of shared space, to slower, more introspective works that speak to desire, fragility, and the deeply personal

stakes of artistic production.

Warm-Up Stage / The Merchandise Zone

At the gallery entrance, a dedicated merchandise zone - the Quench Kiosk, designed by Giles Round and

inspired by the energy and aesthetic of Ridley Road Market - celebrates the crossover between commerce

and culture. Curated in collaboration with Quench Gallery, this space features artist-made editions, posters,

ceramics and textiles that draw on band merch traditions while challenging the boundary between art and

memorabilia. Drawing on inspirations such as Sarah Lucas and Tracey Emin’s early Shop and Joshua

Compston’s A Fête Worse Than Death (both 1993), the kiosk embodies a spirit of artist-led production.

Proceeds will support Quench’s future programming and help fund new artistic initiatives.