Jarvis Cocker and his wife Kim Sion will curate a new exhibition titled "Hodge Podge" at the Hepworth Wakefield, opening in May 2027. The show brings together a personal selection of works by artists including Jeremy Deller, Peter Doig, Barbara Hepworth, and others, alongside unknown outsider and visionary artists never before exhibited in UK public museums. The exhibition aims to challenge conventional ideas of art and includes an immersive Dreamachine, a flickering light device co-invented by Brion Gysin and Ian Sommerville in 1959.
The exhibition matters because it reflects Cocker and Sion's broader cultural commentary on creativity, consumerism, and capitalism, encouraging visitors to discover their own creative potential. By juxtaposing established artists with outsider works and incorporating elements like alternative spiritualities, psychedelia, and music, the show seeks to democratize art and inspire personal expression. It also highlights the Hepworth Wakefield's commitment to fresh curatorial approaches, with artistic director Laura Smith noting Cocker's long-held interest in art and his Yorkshire roots as ideal for this project.