Tom of Finland Foundation (ToFF) is presenting the 27th Tom of Finland Art & Culture Festival — “Tom Unites”. ToFF CXO S.R. Sharp said of this year’s event: “This beautiful environment allows us to bring creators and collectors together in a dynamic marketplace that melds into the community.” The Festival will be open to the public Saturday, October 8 from noon till 7:OO p.m. and Sunday, October 9, 2022, from 11:00 a.m. till 7:00 p.m. in both Los Angeles and London.
The Festival is ToFF’s yearly programming effort to bring together artists, galleries and patrons from all over the globe in a socially friendly setting so that they can network as well as buy and sell works. Returning to Second Home, an indoor/outdoor space that offers a large garden campus, art installations, performances, and presentations will occur in glass salons and courtyards framed by lush landscape.
This is the second consecutive year the Festival is at Second Home Hollywood and the first time the Festival incorporates Second Home’s London outpost in Spitalfields. Durk Dehner, ToFF’s co-founder, noted that this year is even bigger than last: “Having artwork in your own private space brings us great joy. And what better surroundings to find work that speaks to you? Our Festival is uninhibited and comfortable – like our very natures. Collecting art is the ultimate ‘thank you to artists and the most genuine way of expressing yourself to friends.” Dehner himself will inaugurate the first international foray of the Art & Culture Festival.
This year’s event will bring together erotic artists, vendors, performers, music, and galleries. Amongst the offerings are a special presentation, Tom’s Queers, from Artillery Magazine curated by Tucker Neal, and galleries from Suzanne Shifflett and Invincible Summer by Edward Joseph in Los Angeles; as well as The Community, Arcadia Missa, Taymour Grahne, and The Artist Room in London. Activations in Spitalfields include a VR experience of TOM House, and specially-created murals by James Davison, Pol Anglada, and London Performance Studio; while Hollywood will see Tom of Finland Presents, a selection of artworks especially curated by Tom of Finland Foundation. Artists and vendors in the UK iteration include Stuart Sanford, Franko B, Paweł Żukowski, and Rick Castro, plus Ella Boucht and Ridley Road Project Space; while this side of the pond will host works by MisterOsborne, Nora Rachel, Peter Kalisch, Rubén Esparza, plus current Artists-in-Residence Xiaobing Fan, Carta Monir and Oat Montien, as well as wares by The Mr She, Peachy Kings, Lethal Amounts, and Tom of Finland Store.
ToFF will also present its annual awards in transatlantic fashion: activist, “living sculpture” and designer Daniel Lismore in London will be ToFF’s latest inductee into the Artist Hall of Fame, joining past inductees Herb Ritts, H. R. Giger, and Don Bachary; while Los Angeles will see Leather legend Peter Fiske presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award amongst past recipients Hugh Hefner, Larry Flynt, and Benedikt Taschen. Fiske will also delight the audience with readings from his colourful memoirs. The Grand Prize winner of the Tom of Finland Emerging Artist Competition 2022, Łukasz Leja, will be presented with his prize as well as showing his work; the Competition was comprised of a jury of international renown: Honey Dijon, Mr Gruts, Glenn Martens, Richard Meyer, Slava Mogutin, and Graham Steele. Other Competition Winners will be in both cities to accept their awards. Performance and a conversation on the topic of Queer and erotic publishing in today’s climate are planned as well.
As is tradition, barbers and tattoo artists will be on hand at both Festival locations to provide sharp cuts and fresh ink to interested attendees. Scorpio Mars Tattoo and Toppins Barbershop will set up shop in London, and The Queen’s Head Tattoo Parlour and Folklore Salon will do so in Los Angeles.
The entire weekend kicks off Friday night at the Eagle London with a party and viewing of Gay Propaganda, a program of short films curated by Slava Mogutin featuring the work of Bruce LaBruce, Matt Lambert, Christeen, Brian Kenny and more. Saturday night will be topped off with Come Together, an exclusive benefit dinner at Le Despensa atop Second Home Hollywood where ToFF’s biggest supporters will dine on a multi-course feast by Chef Ryan Turner paired with cocktails/ mocktails from Master Mixologist Vic Feliz and wine from Sommelier Tonni Williams. Honoured guest and host Terry Miller, Tom of Finland brand ambassador, will speak of ToFF’s legacy and diners will be charmed by music and sound courtesy of Cali DeWitt and Jonas Jan Dept.
Tom of Finland Foundation presents the 27th Tom of Finland Art & Culture Festival
Tom Unites
LOS ANGELES: Second Home Hollywood
LONDON: Second Home Spitalfields
October 8th & 9th, 2022
Information on the Tom of Finland Art & Culture Festival can be found at tomoffinland.org/artfair
#TomofFinlandFoundation
