Currently running in London at Somerset House, CUTE examines how the world has embraced cute culture and how it has come to be such an influential gauge of our times. It brings together contemporary artworks, including several new artist commissions, and cultural phenomena like music, fashion, toys, video games, and social media. It also attempts to to disentangle the affective charge of cuteness in order to expose its amazing and multifaceted possibilities.
The exhibition, which is being held in collaboration with Sanrio, also commemorates the 50th anniversary of Hello Kitty, one of the cutest and most well-known characters in the world. It includes a dedicated plushie area, an immersive disco, and a display of Hello Kitty merchandise from all over the years, including rare and unusual pieces.
Alake Shilling, Wong Ping, Maggie Lee, Bunny Rogers, Andy Holden, Mike Kelley, Karen Kilimnik, Nayland Blake, Cosima von Bonin, Hannah Diamond, Ed Fornieles, Juliana Huxtable, Rachel Maclean, Julien Ceccaldi, Paige K. B., Isaac Lythgoe, Alake Shilling, Alake Shilling, Chris Zhongtian Yuan, and Sian Fan are among the artists who have contributed.
The main theme of the exhibition is Hello Kitty, a popular cartoon character designed by the Japanese company Sanrio. Originally created to launch a small wallet, she first appeared in 1974, designed by Yuko Shimizu, Kitty’s appearance features include a white cat with a red bow, a round face and a red bow on her tail. She was given British ancestry because British culture was very popular in Japan at the time.
Why is Hello Kitty a star representatives of cute culture? Zhongtian Yuan explained: “Hello Kitty is a legendary figure in adorable culture. She has a kind of ‘silent magic’. I draw a conclusion from the exhibition that silent cuteness itself has the power of bewitching, which may be exactly what the ideal girl and doll of that era expected.”
Christine R. Yano, author of Pink Globalization: Hello Kitty’s Trek across the Pacific, agrees. “She is so non-specific that that void can respond to whatever the moment demands – the flexibility to be everywhere, to be anyone.”
Meanwhile, Professor Christine Yano, who has worked closely with Japanese Americans, comments: “When Hello Kitty came to the United States in the mid-1970s, she was popular as a commodity in Asian circles such as Chinatown and Japantown. This image means a lot to us because it is our image of Japan.”
In our tour of the CUTE exhibition, these were the highlights:
Sprout
Entering the Light and Shadow Paradise, all the cute moments from the birth of Hello Kitty with the familiar red bow to the present are reappeared before your eyes. In the future fantasy space where light and shadow are intertwined, start an immersive dream journey.
Memories
There is an entire wall of fun cartoons, featuring Hello Kitty and her friends. Here you can hold the soft bow of Hello Kitty and strike the most beautiful pose, allowing the camera to freeze the cute moment.
Blessings In Wonderland
The cute friends from the Sanrio family have created a window where visitors can send blessings to Hello Kitty on her birthday. At the same time, they also welcome us. Through here, you can open the door to the future world.
Wishing Quicksand
The oversized quicksand bottle device is great for filming. Here you can gently tap the interactive device on the wall and the “sand” of your choice will pour out of the quicksand bottle. Give surprise gifts to Hello Kitty and everyone who comes here.
Spin Party
On this wonderful and colourful big turntable, Hello Kitty and her friends are waiting for you to join this fun and healing birthday party. Every angle is so cute. You can’t stop pressing the shutter!
Pixel Fantasy
Coming to the Pixel Fantasy on the other side, huge objects and colorful light combinations are like falling into a pixel-style dimensional space!
Cute Hug
The round-shaped Hello Kitty and her friends are so healing. Scan the QR code on site to enter the AR exhibition. You can discover different perspectives and gain unexpected happiness.
Colourful Vision
You can get even more unexpected surprises behind the extremely cute Hello Kitty. The unbounded dome space and the mirrored floor form an illusory scene, where the immersive light and shadow wonders complement each other, revealing a dreamlike fantasy.
Hello Kitty art
The exhibition also brings together the works of many domestic artists. They use different art forms to reinterpret the cute and charming image of Hello Kitty and discover her unusual side.
The CUTE exhibition continues until April 14, 2024.