Tom of Finland Foundation

AllTogether explores the erotic art collection consisting of thousands of artworks, spanning multiple decades and encompassing all media and techniques. This exhibition is possible because of the Foundation’s efforts in preserving the work of queer artists, many of whom have faced discrimination and misrepresentation due to the nature of what they create.

For over thirty years, Tom of Finland Foundation has been building the world’s most extensive collection of LGBTQ+ art. Durk Dehner and Tom of Finland cofounded Tom of Finland Foundation in 1984 with the aim to better preserve and promote Tom’s work. However, quickly the Foundation’s role extended to promoting and archiving the works of other queer artists: the early years of Foundation coincided with the onset of the AIDS epidemic. Many erotic artists of the time, some working anonymously throughout their career, were concerned that their work would be forgotten or destroyed after their deaths. Thus, they donated their life’s work to Foundation, knowing it would be carefully archived and their stories preserved. AllTogether acknowledges the profound social and cultural impact Tom’s Foundation has made, in providing an open, unique space of freedom and love for this community of artists.

Usually witnessed hung on the walls of TOM House in Los Angeles, the diverse curation highlights the stories of over eighty featured artists. AllTogether inaugurates at Studio Cannaregio in Venice, Italy, on 23 April coinciding with the opening weekend of the Venice Biennale. A second distinct exhibition will open at The Community Centre in Paris on 8 May. Both run through 26 June. The two shows comprise more than two hundred works of art from the 1940s to the present day.

It’s always has been my vision to have an international exhibition with the amazing artists from the Foundation’s rich collection. That day has arrived and I am very pleased it has come to fruition thanks to The Community and Glenn Martens of Diesel. — Durk Dehner, President and Cofounder of Tom of Finland Foundation

Artists: A. J. Epstein, Al Urban,Andre,Annie Sprinkle, Attila Richard Lukacs, AuréLien NobéCourt-Arras, Bastille, BenôIt PréVot, Bob Mizer, Bruce Rapp, Carrington Galen, Chris Johnson, Dave Pibel, Domino, Don Bachardy, E.M.A. Studio, Emma Kohlmann, Etienne, Florian Hetz, George Quaintance, Gio Black Peter, Goh Mishima, Gregory Maskwa, Heather Benjamin, Hector Silva, Hiroshi Shimoyama, Jay Jorgensen, Jean Ferraro, Jess Scott, Jim French, Jim Shaw, John Waters , Johnny Smith, Kenny Knutson, Kenneth Anger, Link, Marcel Alcalá, Marcello Lupetti, Matt Lambert, Michael Kirwan, Michael Reynolds & Martyn Thompson, Michel Laguerre, Miguel Angel Reyes, Mike Kuchar, Minoru, Mr Gruts, Nigel Kent, Olaf, Orsen, Palanca, Patrick Lee, Peter Berlin, Philip Core , Phuc Le, R. Daniel Foster, Rex, Rick Castro, Rinaldo Hopf, Rob Clarke, Sal Salandra, Seth Bogart, Sheree Rose, Silvia Prada, Simon Haas, Slava Mogutin, Stanley Stellar, Steven Reigns, Stuart Sandford, Sultan, Susanna Luoto, Suzanne Shifflett, Tank, Teddy Of Paris, The Hun, Tom Of Finland, Valentine, Victor Arimondi, Viktoria Raykova, Xavier Gicquel.

On the occasion of the exhibition, Tom of Finland Foundation, The Community and Diesel will publish a fully illustrated catalogue with an introduction by curator Sini Rinne-Kanto, an essay by Pierre-Alexandre Mateos and Charles Teyssou, and interviews by Kristian Vistrup Madsen, Michael Bullock, and Miss Rosen with Durk Dehner, Gio Black Peter, Rick Castro, Silvia Prada, and Stanley Stellar. AllTogether is proudly supported by Diesel.

Tom of Finland Foundation is a nonprofit organization established in 1984 by Durk Dehner and Tom of Finland. As Tom had established worldwide recognition as the master of homoerotic art, the Foundation’s original purpose was to preserve his vast catalog of work. Several years later, the scope was widened to offer a safe haven for all erotic art due to rampant discrimination against art that portrayed sexual behavior or generated a sexual response. Today, Tom of Finland Foundation continues to educate the public about the cultural merits of erotic art and promote healthier, more tolerant attitudes about sexuality.

The Community is a Parisian multidisciplinary art institution established in 2016. It was founded for a long-standing need for shared space and a platform to stimulate ideas and create collaboration across cultures and different artistic disciplines. In 2021, The Community opened its new permanent home, The Community Centre, in the neighborhood of Pantin, northeast of Paris, and continues supporting emerging and established artists through interdisciplinary programming.

Since its creation in 1978, Diesel positioned itself as a real alternative to luxury. Diesel is much more than a clothing brand and injects its creative energy into everything it makes. A very high level of innovation, especially in denim and communication, are fundamental values for Diesel, in addition to a respectful vision for people and the environment. Diesel is the creative engine of new generations, translating the world’s social cultures into unique products and experiences. For Successful Living.

Exhibition duration: 8 May to 26 June 2022

Address and contact:
The Community Centre
9 Rue Méhul, 93500 Pantin, France
thecommunity.io