Abbie Head

This is the first UK showing of ‘Life in the Margins’ by Pacita Abad, a worldwide recognised multimedia artist of the past 30 years; and how lucky we are in Bristol to host this fantastic debut to the country.

Spike Island’s bare, open studio creates the perfect space for Abad’s large tapestries. They burst with complex and loud colour, varying from story-telling portraits to abstract prints, heavy in cultural references through colour, shape and technique.

Kathleen Hanna, who originally went into music with a mixture of experience in stripping and spoken word, shook up the grunge music scene of the 1990s with a unique perspective and vocal anger. Bikini Kill, the band Hanna fronts, made a name for itself with punky honesty, shame-free sexualisation and an outspoken bluntness on controversial topics that weren’t spoken about (and often still aren’t), even after the punk movement had opened up the music scene.