A Beast with Two Backs is a group exhibition rooted in a shared curiosity about artist couples—partners who are both artists, and artists whose relationships are shaped by their creative lives. The exhibition explores the dynamics between these individuals: couples brought together by a mutual passion for art, those who inspire one another to create, and those whose practices reflect collaboration, whether deliberate or unspoken.

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Some participating couples present works created jointly, while others exhibit individual pieces displayed side by side. In some cases, a shared aesthetic or thematic sensibility emerges; in others, stark stylistic contrasts reveal the uniqueness of each artist’s voice within the partnership.

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At the heart of this exhibition is a deeper inquiry: how does love manifest as a physical, creative presence within shared artistic practice? This intangible force—what the curators call “the beast”—is understood as something both unruly and essential, a necessary companion on the journey of artistic and relational discovery.
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The title, A Beast with Two Backs, draws on this idea, referencing the "spectral third" described by philosopher Gillian Rose—the invisible presence that exists between two people in relationship. It is neither wholly one nor the other, but something formed between them. This exhibition invites viewers to consider how that in-between space—the “us”—can be seen, felt, and understood through art.

Participating artists include: Dominique Cheminais and Zander Blom; Kamyar Bineshtarigh and Alka Dass; Vusumzi Nkomo and Ndumii Mbala; Callan Grecia and Sivan Zeffertt; Gabriele Jacobs and Miró van der Vloed; Haroon Gunn-Salie and Lily van Rensburg; Guy Simpson and Wendy Fredriksson; Michael Tymbios and Katarzyna Stefańczyk; Mitchell Messina and Katie Thomas; Ian Grose and Emma Belsham; Kyle Morland and Nicola West; Wim Botha and Retha Erasmus.

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The exhibition is on display from 26 June to 31 July 2025