Glenn Walls – SUPER CREATIVE GRID

MPavilion Proposal – 2027

Artist statement

This exhibition explores the histories of queer communities in Melbourne who, between the 1970s and early 2000s, formed networks within hidden sites to navigate social exclusion and heteropatriarchal control, many of which became sites of violence and loss. Through the ongoing series Massacre – Bodies That Matter (2018–2027), the works foreground the marginalisation and harm experienced by LGBTQI+ individuals, examining how societal judgment and institutional neglect contributed to these conditions. Drawing on Italian architectural group Superstudio’s Continuous Monument, the exhibition reworks its reflective, monumental aesthetic to confront viewers with distorted self-images, prompting reflection on visibility, exclusion, and the idea of the “aberrant” body. By inserting references to marginalised identities into both a historically utopian yet exclusionary architectural vision and a contemporary modernist pavilion, the exhibition challenges dominant art and cultural narratives, calling for a deeper recognition of queer histories and more inclusive ways of understanding identity, space, and representation.

Connection to MPavilion

This exhibition positions MPavilion as a critical, site-responsive platform for confronting the histories of queer violence embedded within Melbourne’s parklands. Situated near Alexandra Gardens—an area associated with queer beats and histories of policing, surveillance, and assault—the project reconnects these narratives to their geographic origins while foregrounding the lived experiences of LGBTQI+ communities who forged connection under conditions of risk. MPavilion’s architectural language reinforces this dialogue; its restrained, pavilion-like form recalls the discreet public toilet blocks, such as the now-demolished Fitzroy Gardens toilet block that historically functioned as queer meeting places. By mobilising this spatial parallel, the exhibition transforms the pavilion into both a symbolic and material extension of these environments, encouraging reflection on how such architectures have operated as sites of intimacy and control. Through this site-responsive approach, the work reclaims the notion of the “mistake” as a form of resistance, asserting the persistence of queer presence while inviting audiences to engage critically with these histories within a contemporary public forum.

Glenn Walls. Massacre Super Pride (Superstudio – The Continuous Monument, 1969). Mirror tiles, skate wheels and mirrored plinth.

Glenn Walls. Massacre Super Pride (Superstudio – The Continuous Monument, 1969). Mirror tiles, skate wheels and mirrored plinth.

Glenn Walls. Massacre Super Pride (Superstudio – The Continuous Monument, 1969). Mirror tiles, skate wheels and mirrored plinth.

Glenn Walls. Massacre Super Pride (Superstudio – The Continuous Monument, 1969). Mirror tiles, skate wheels and mirrored plinth.

Glenn Walls. Massacre (Desperately Seeking Madonna). 2026. Drawing. 29 x 42 cms

Glenn Walls. Massacre (Desperately Seeking Madonna). 2026. Drawing. 29 x 42 cms

Glenn Walls. Massacre (Desperately Seeking Madonna). 2026. Drawing. 29 x 42 cms

Glenn Walls. Massacre (Disco Glare). 2018/2024. Baseball bat and mirror tiles.

Glenn Walls. Massacre (Disco Glare). 2018/2024. Baseball bat and mirror tiles.

Glenn Walls. Massacre (Disco Glare). 2018/2024. Baseball bat and mirror tiles.

Glenn Walls. Massacre (I am one of God’s mistakes). 2007/2023. Perspex mirror and MDF Board. 120 x 240 cms