A Life Of Subversive Joy 2019/2021

A Life of Subversive Joy – A 23m long installation using 600 photos and 200 pieces of ephemera to tell the story of Petersen’s life of raving, roaming and humanitarian projects. Installation first shown at Saatchi 2019, due to be shown at V&A Dundee 2020/21.

Petersen in front of a section of her installation, A Life of Subversive Joy. Photo thanks to Gideon Hart.

A highlight of ‘Sweet Harmony: Rave | Today’ is Vinca Petersen’s ‘A Life of Subversive Joy’: a great jostling timeline of dates, personal photographs and flyers alongside details of raves she ran and attended scrawled directly on to the gallery wall (‘1st August. Arrived at rave in Plumpton at 7am. Lost it on “blue sperm”!!? Really good!’). Next to it sits a bouncy castle entitled ‘Laughter Aid’ – since 2003, Petersen has taken it, along with more practical supplies, to Eastern European and West African orphanages in order to spread that joy. (TIME OUT August 2019)

Installation View, Vinca Petersen
Sweet Harmony: Rave I Today, 12 July – 14 September 2019
© Justin Piperger, 2019
Image courtesy of Saatchi Gallery, London

LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 11: The launch Sweet Harmony at Saatchi Gallery on July 11, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images for Sweet Harmony Productions)

Installation View, Vinca Petersen
Sweet Harmony: Rave I Today, 12 July – 14 September 2019
© Justin Piperger, 2019
Image courtesy of Saatchi Gallery, London