Sweet Release, a party and ‘secret’ solo exhibition by photographer Jesse Glazzard is happening this weekend (Saturday 17 May, 2025) at Dalston’s Sui Generis. Organised to coincide with Photo London, Offprint and Peckham24, the phone-free event promises a selection of never-before-seen work by Glazzard as well as DJ sets by Anu, Gamma, Viktorija, and T622VAJ (@indiaha_v & @rosie_ridgway). This “site-specific archival dive” is on view for one night only, and the first 50 ticket holders through the door will receive a limited edition by photographer Tami Aftab.
It’s ‘secret’ in that only two images from the never-before-displayed body of Glazzard’s work featured in the show have been released beforehand, but he has given Dazed a hint of what we can expect: “These previously unseen images explore intimacy, devastation, and euphoria – and the spaces where they all intersect,” he says. “There’s sex: sex in churches, sex in cars, sex as a political ‘fuck you’. But it’s also about reclaiming a kind of queer mundane; ordinariness is often something not afforded or not visible in queer culture and expression. Alongside the trauma and eroticism, we experience and enjoy the same everyday, commonplace things everyone else does.”
Organisers Jamie Shaw and Lillian Wilkie explain the impetus and guiding principle behind Sweet Release: “This year’s Peckham24 programme is all about coming together in solidarity, joy and rage; to reflect on and process global events; and take care of each other. We share the same spirit, in that we wanted to create an opportunity for our community to come together and celebrate all the work that goes on this week, and all the important work done year-round by indie publishers and weirdo zinesters! But we also really wanted to dance. We've been having lots of conversations around partying as a practice of community-building, about publishing as building and sustaining publics, and about parties thrown by artists and publishers as an act of publishing in themselves. And after the party, the prints will be removed and auctioned, in all their sweat-smeared, booze-stained glory, to raise money for the trans community.”
You can find out more information and get your tickets for Sweet Release here now.