This April/May Pete McKee brings his most satirical and observational exhibition ever to both London’s Hoxton Arches and Sheffield’s Millennium Gallery. Created in response to what he observed online during the 2020/21 lockdowns, this show explores multiple ideas, and while there is no singular theme, what unites these pieces is that they all were made in order to examine concepts derived from scrolling through social media.

Pete McKee said:”During the pandemic everyone’s life was completely turned upside down with most of us increasing the time they spent online, especially on social media. I turned to my phone for companionship and used it as a window to the outside world. When scrolling its screen over the following months, I saw a mixture of anger, injustice, LOLs, contrary opinions, misinformation and a plethora of community-spirited endeavours to lift the mood of the nation. It was like someone had found society’s volume button and turned it up to 11. I decided to start organising and making sense of what I saw by creating art which examined the world that surrounds us, much of which we view through a device.”

The work in the show represents the biggest seismic shift in Pete’s career to date. He has long been known for his observational and warm portrayals of working-class life, often set in the 1960s and ’70s, drawing on memories from his childhood. Although this trademark humour still punctuates throughout, uncomfortable and unflinching examinations of contemporary life are also on offer.

Comprising paintings, sculptures, photographs, and installations, Don’t Adjust Your Mindset explores modern British life and how we communicate today.