Goldendean invites you to a tender moment with a “soft radical”. As a “Fat Queer White Trans body” in the context of South Africa, Dean Hutton makes space for vulnerability. Goldendean invites the audience to sit, take photos, and be tender. They extend their body into public spaces as large scale “soft radical” inflatable sculptures like Breathe.

The artwork is soft with generous organic curves. Its body is political, representing those who are Other, who do not fit and do not conform to dominant beauty standards. A body that refuses legibility. Visitors are encouraged to be tender, to sit with, and to contemplate alongside this glowing, breathing sculpture that can remind us to prioritise self-care, kindness, and compassion in the face of adversity.

Embedded with a sense of ritual magic, larger than life, lighter than air, the sculpture is active matter, holds space, encourages intimate engagement.

Goldendean (they/them) makes trouble. Working at the intersections of trans media visual culture, performance and community action, their practice bridges genres of documentary, fiction and fantasy to produce radical queer counter narratives, and experiences for repair and resistance. AKA Dean Hutton, their strategy of simple disruptive actions share moments of soft courage, affirming the rights of all bodies to exist, be celebrated, and protected.

An artist-in-residence at the University of Johannesburg, their research embraces collaborative praxis and embodied play to produce new forms of artWork – sculptural objects made from sustainable materials and living biomatter to support ecosystem health, and build cultural and ecological value for local communities.