Photographer Gideon Liddiard has curated a new exhibition titled "Stickers!!!" as part of the Swindon Arts Fringe (SWAF) in Swindon, UK. The show, running until 28 June at the old Argos building on Canal Road, celebrates stickers as an art form, featuring hundreds of stickers collected from the public and displayed on skateboards, bikes, road signs, and other objects. Liddiard, who says he never "grew out" of the hobby, aims to highlight how stickers are an overlooked but ubiquitous medium used for art, promotion, and personal expression.
The exhibition matters because it elevates a humble, often dismissed medium—stickers—into a gallery context, challenging traditional hierarchies of art. As part of a non-profit, artist-led fringe festival, it underscores the importance of community-driven arts programming, especially in smaller cities like Swindon where art funding is often cut first. Curator Lisa Lowe notes that SWAF has built a "lovely community" and offers accessible, inclusive events, reinforcing the role of local art festivals in fostering cultural engagement and supporting emerging artists.