Somerset House is turning fandom into faith with its newest exhibition celebrating the world of shrines, pop stars and memorabilia.
Holy Pop! features art, memorabilia and photographs, and uncovers how community is created through the ritual idolisation of celebrities and shows figures such as David Bowie, Princess Diana, and Andy Warhol.
In a fast-moving digital world, Holy Pop! offers a vibrant, thought-provoking celebration of human connection, devotion, and the objects that bring us together.
Exhibition curator Tory Turk said: “Holy Pop! is a dialogue between people and the objects they treasure – the mementoes they gather on the fridge, the flowers, notes and offerings they leave at famous people’s graves.
“It’s about the community created when fans build their own memorials to their heroes and the affinity felt between strangers because they idolise the same pop star, devour the same literature, or worship the same actor.”
The exhibition examines the deeply personal nature of devotion, the act of communal mourning, how people come together in moments of grief to share memories and commemorate their heroes, and how carefully-placed objects in homes hold precious personal significance, creating everyday spaces for reflection.
Among the exhibition’s most compelling objects is a piece of chewing gum once used by Nina Simone, taken by musician Warren Ellis after her spellbinding final performance in Britain.
Turk said: “Regardless of your religion, faith always comes from the heart.
“Somerset House, a building with a rich history and reborn today as an arts organisation showcasing arts and popular culture, is the perfect venue for this contemporary exploration of devotion.
“Holy Pop! is about our very human desire to believe in something bigger, because that is what makes us feel alive.”
The exhibition runs from 21 May to 9 August.
Feature image: Damian Griffiths
Join the discussion