About this episode

This episode explores the intersection of pop devotion and cuteness through the lens of artist Dot Alma's shrine dedicated to George Michael.

The Process: Archive invites artists from our cultural programme and artist community to reflect on different works from the sonic archives and podcasts of Somerset House – from talks to soundscapes, performance to composition. In this episode, we deep dive into the transformative power of cute, exploring what happens when shrines and pop devotion intersect with the irresistible force of cuteness. Dot Alma is an artist from Greater Manchester, and is known for a touring shrine dedicated to George Michael, which is featured as part of the Holy Pop! Exhibition exploring how we idolise pop stars, cult icons, and even fictional characters have become a modern form of devotion. The former Wham! singer who died on Christmas Day in 2016. For Dot, this devotion deepened rather than faded after his death, taking on a spiritual quality that helps them explore identity and connection. Having navigated uncertain teenage years before finding peace with their identity in their twenties, Dot now lives a life of queer freedom and sees George Michael, revered by many as a queer folk-saint figure, as a model of positive queer masculinity. Dot shares what excites them about the world-building…

People in this episode

Host: Laurent John

Guest: Dot Alma

Topics covered

• pop culture
• devotion
• identity
• queer masculinity
• cuteness
• sonic archives

Keywords

• pop devotion
• cuteness
• George Michael
• queer identity
• sonic archives
• artistic reflection

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Somerset House, Holy Pop!, Ka Baird, Do

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