In a dystopian future fuelled by coffee and ‘data’, a new God has emerged. One with qualities like Kim Kardashian, but then again, this version has advanced body enhancement that includes nose removal and a sole talent for posting pictures of herself. The imaged obsessed world created by Rachel Maclean shows a future transformation of celebrity that doesn’t appear too different from our current standing. Speaking on societies need to be immersed in virtual reality and brainwashed to the point of no return; Wot U ;-) About? appears bright, engaging and immersive from the outside but its superficial glamour hides a terrifying truth. The exhibition plays on peoples’ accessibility of celebrities through the internet. Our fascination with celebrity, but also the ease in which we can now spotlight people for their designated 15 minutes. Reality television, social media and advertisements have led to the rise of a generation gripped by continuous ‘data’. The desire to be constantly in tune with celebrities’ disposable news has resulted in a dystopia where a Kardashian-like Gods feeds the confused, diseased masses with ‘data’. The common people walk around with their eyes covered by sleeping masks while cartoonish character’s keep everything in check. Their bright blue eyes pop against their yellow skin, their perfect teeth and their nose-less faces robotically perform to distract people from their reality. This is a great exhibition that includes Emoji-like models, prints and an all-encompassing three-piece screen to watch Maclean’s It’s What’s Inside That Counts film instillation.

If 3D films are intended to get bums back in cinema seats with the promise of a unique experience; then the visual album is designed to have audiences pay for an artist’s complete story. It has been years since I sat and listened to any album in its entirety. However, visual albums offer an elevated understanding of an artist’s work, in which many have fused their words with impactful imagery to show their fans their full intentions. It is surprising that after the success of Kanye West’s “My Beautiful Twisted Dark Fantasy” and R. Kelly’s inexhaustible “Trapped in the Closet” more established artists haven’t chosen to market their music with a visual album. Unlike concert videos and live performances, these innovative productions would reach more fans and have them paying for the music in a space where it is increasingly undersold and has little to no longevity. Beyoncé is a veteran in the pop world and is clearly at a stage in her career where being her authentic self is more important than selling records. In April she spoke about the backlash following her politically moving Super Bowl performance in February. Her track, “Formation” sounded similar to her prior girl power performances, with lyrics such as “You just might be a black Bill Gates in the making. I just might be a black Bill Gates in the making.” However, the problem appeared to be her imagery. Her girl power squad was now in Black Panther getup, unapologetically black and unashamed. As a result, her performance was immediately tarnished with negative attention. Everyone from misinformed police officials, the right wing news media and Piers Morgan were asking for the old Beyoncé back. Thankfully, Beyoncé is smart enough to know that some issues transcend wealth and status. In solidarity with her community, she touched on a real and relevant issue suffocating the positive vision of America today. Her performance was watched by over 100 million viewers, making it the third most watched broadcast in U.S. television history. In response to the criticism, Beyoncé said, "If celebrating my roots and culture during Black History Month made anyone uncomfortable, those feelings were there long before a video and long before me. I'm proud of what we created, and I'm proud to be a part of a conversation that is pushing things forward in a positive way." After her performance Beyoncé doubled down by releasing “Lemonade”; a visual album that focuses on black women shines a light on unarmed black men being killed and touches on her pressure to be perfect. People may be thirsty for her drama and pleased to see her fail, yet her reaction to her critics has been reflective and honest. Beyoncé’s visual album is a brave championing on black women's inherited pain, struggle and the strength that connects us all. “Lemonade” runs through her nine stages of grief, with songs linked to the themes of intuition, denial, anger, apathy, emptiness, accountability, forgiveness, hope, and redemption. This well-rounded account of her betrayal and love goes beyond her pain; using poetry, audio clips and home videos to highlight generations of healing. There are plenty of memorable pop tracks such as “Freedom”, “Sorry” and “Hold Up” for the old-school Beyoncé fan but it is the visual vulnerability and personal insight that will make this an unforgettable moment in Beyoncé’s back catalogue.

It is rare that exhibitions focus exclusively on the black experience but Imitation of Life: Melodrama and Race in the 21st Century challenges perpetuated and expected images surrounding black men and women. Taking on racial politics in the ever evolving, post-digital culture. Many artists have chosen to confront the fluid politics of representation and race by opening new spaces and possibilities based on old constructs. As you walk into the gallery, Kevin Beasley’s Untitled (Fades/Violas) hits you as a strong yet beautiful blockade. The sphere is built with everyday African American dress but has been completely altered in a way that works against any expected racial stereotypes. There are many successful pieces in the exhibit that signify blackness as a different construct. However, this exhibit relies heavily on film. These pieces do not examine the performance aspects surrounding blackness but rather play into every shock value stereotype imaginable. Using six separate films, the artists continue to alter the images of black men and women in media as a means to highlight the power of both image and language on screen. The 2013 film, Ditch Plains follows a group of self-taught performers called the Ringmaster Crew. The New York based dancers perform sporadically throughout battered streets that have been hit by hurricane Katrina, illustrating how race is performed through abstract bodies in the 21st century. Race as a performance is seen in S1:E1 as a way to perpetuate stereotypes in comedy. The video focuses on the making of a black women's situation comedy called She Mad. Using clips of shows such as Oprah and Girlfriends to suggest that these images are dominated by problematic representations. However, through new media many black artists have chosen to create their own content. The artists concern appears dated as most comedies rely on archetypal characters and YouTube is now awash with popular, independent black comedy shows from productions such as Issa Rae and BLACK&SEXY.TV. Art Thoughtz: How To Be A Successful Black Artist continues to ask how African American identity is performed. The film shows a white actor inhabiting racial stereotypes in order to displace them. The piece claims to recognising ‘blackness’ as a role conferred by a history of discrimination, yet many of the videos perpetuate these traditions. They insult the creators by creating their own parody but do not look into how we move past these images. In an effort to open a dialogue for reinvention, Larry Achiampong’s Glyth presents a series of six digitally manipulated family photographs that depict ‘cloudface’ figures similar to ‘Gollywogs’. His portraits are a critique on how The Other is often misrepresented, whilst being a complete appropriation of an offensive image. Much like the adoption of the N-word, ‘cloudface’ fights against the original image but does not take on a new reality. Despite culture evolving, the past, present and future of race relations in the United States is as dishevelled as Tony Lewis’ distressed letters; they lack clarity, are open to interpretation but always provoke a reaction. This exhibition is running from the 30th April until the 2nd July.

Fox has finally allowed Deadpool or the "Merc with a Mouth" to feature in his own film with an origin story that deviates from the familiar Marvel Studios ride. Deadpool, a disfigured mercenary with the power to accelerate his healing, is a surprisingly relentless comedy with Tarantino-like styling. After learning that he had contracted cancer, Wade Wilson is offered hope in the form of a radical new treatment that will infuse Wolverines regenerative powers into him. Wade is turned into the ultimate soldier for what is, in fact, a government Weapon X Program and emerges as Deadpool to seek revenge on the program's creators. The film is downright meta and acknowledges its Marvel universe, its hurdles and its ongoing creations and spin-offs. There is a constant commentary that breaks the fourth wall, alludes to pop culture and pokes fun at itself. The film references the real actors playing the characters, together with Reynold’s previous superhero appearances as the Green Lantern and the less successful portrayal of Deadpool in X-Men Origin’s Wolverine. Wayne Wilson, who is played by Ryan Reynolds knows how to deliver punchy one-liners. A supporting secondary cast from the Marvel universe is utilised in a way that will have fanboys and newcomer pumped for the sequel (which promises to include the time-traveling character Cable). In keeping with Marvels fun, dark and trendy cast of lesser known characters, Deadpool has a great old- school soundtrack that includes DMX and Salt and Pepper. Deadpool is an unorthodox film which acknowledges the superhero world but continues to engage you with its classic revenge/romance plot. Marvel’s origin stories have a formulaic flow which will only be frustrating to people who are tired of the comic book genre as a whole. Nevertheless, Deadpool is an edgy and fast-paced franchising hit for Marvel.