28/11/2025
Five years ago, .khan happened to pass by as hordes of teenagers, bowtied, glossed and glittering, spilled out of their high school prom in South London. The scene—one of elation, exhaustion, giddiness and hope—inspired a four-year-long project that saw Khan reach out to the school in question for permission to take portraits and video material within the prom itself. Over the years, capturing students during this right of passage became a ritual, with Kahn sensitively but imaginatively capturing the full spectrum of the evening, from the initial awkwardness of the red carpet entrance, to the heat of the dancefloor, and the eventual surfacing out into the night. The result is Leavers, a tender 8mm video work soundtracked by Lara George and narrated by poet and author Caleb Femi.
For many, a high school prom presents a unique social spectacle where all previous conventions, alliances and disputes are either upended or discarded. With a shared cognition that this is likely the last time a group will share a room together, inhibitions dissipate, risk dissolves into temptation, and senses are heightened. It is also, perhaps most importantly, a theatre for self expression, for looking your absolute best, and sharing your culture in ways that the traditional school structure does not allow. It allows young people to define themselves to their peers in a way wholly unrelated to classroom dynamics, obedience or scholarship.
We were thrilled to present a site-specific, multi-channel version of Leavers as part of this year’s public programme, taking over the basement at . Those of you in/near London can look forward to seeing Leavers as part of Khan’s upcoming solo presentation at @1014.gallery
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