KALTBLUT presents Perceptions of Space by Hugh Gleeson! As a multidisciplinary artist and architect, Hugh Gleeson’s work delves deeply into the concepts of identity construction, gender construction, and power dynamics within public space. Drawing from Michel Foucault’s ideas on power and discipline, Hugh explores the dynamics between repressive power and normalizing power. While repressive power is overt and coercive, normalizing power operates subtly, shaping behaviour through the enforcement of societal norms, especially within public spaces. These spaces become arenas where social norms surrounding sexuality, gender, and appearance are imposed, creating invisible boundaries that dictate how individuals present themselves.
Hugh is also influenced by Michel de Certeau’s distinction between ‘place’ and ‘space’—where ‘place’ is a fixed entity, defined by coordinates and power structures, and ‘space’ is fluid, crafted by the actions of those who inhabit it. Through this lens, Hugh believes that humans can transform place into space, creating room for new expressions and identities, including queer space. Hugh’s work explores this transformative potential, particularly through performances that turn simple actions, like walking, into acts of space-making and resistance against heteronormative expectations.
At the heart of Hugh’s practice is the design and creation of ‘wearable architectures’—garments that reshape the spaces around them and challenge traditional norms. These wearables invite reflection on how individuals present themselves daily, resisting conformity while also acknowledging the inevitable influence of the public environment and its norms. To resist is, in itself, to react to the structures in place, thus highlighting the complex interplay between individuality and societal expectations.
In this article, Hugh’s performance questions the everyday rituals of identity formation and the capacity to resist those norms. The clothing and wearables featured in the video and photographs are all designed and crafted by Hugh, embodying a commitment to reimagining the boundaries between fashion and architecture. The DIY aspect of the work underscores a commitment to autonomy in crafting one’s identity and space, encouraging a hands-on approach to breaking down and rebuilding the norms that govern who we are.
Additionally, Hugh has created Do It Yourself, a 30-page editorial-style magazine that dissects the performance of identity, often with a satirical edge. It explores the construction of non-conforming identities, drawing inspiration from visually iconic subcultures from the 1970s to the present day. The magazine will be exhibited and sold at the Dublin Art Book Fair at Temple Bar Gallery & Studios at the end of November. Through this project, Hugh aims to understand and deconstruct identity-making, offering guides on adopting and critiquing alternative expressions of self.
Through fashion, architecture, and performance, Hugh continues to question how space, identity, and power interweave in the every day, encouraging audiences to rethink their relationship with the spaces they inhabit and the identities they perform.
Creative direction, Editing, by Hugh Gleeson / Instagram: @hugh_gleeson
Film & Photography by Luan Feca / Instagram: @Luanfeca
Makeup & Performer by Izlem / Instagram: @i7lemoja
Brands (clothing) used are: Hugh Gleeson
