A monumental retrospective celebrating four decades of intergalactic chaos opens this fall
Beyond the Streets announces Let There Be GWAR, a sprawling retrospective showcasing the 40-year legacy of the legendary art collective and shock rock band, GWAR. Opening September 13th and running through November 2nd, this exhibition is a free-to-attend deep dive into the outrageous universe GWAR has spent four decades constructing through music, performance, and subversive visual art.
Born from a group of punk musicians and visual artists working out of an abandoned dairy building in Richmond, Virginia, GWAR emerged in 1984 as a hybrid of heavy metal theater and absurdist sci-fi mythology. Hunter Jackson, a VCU student crafting costumes for his film Scumdogs of the Universe, joined forces with musician Dave Brockie, and what began as a one-off stunt evolved into a full-blown, blood-splattered empire of art, performance, and chaos.
Let There Be GWAR chronicles this intergalactic saga through the most comprehensive assembly of GWAR artifacts ever seen. The exhibition features handcrafted costumes, instruments, weaponry, and stage props, as well as video installations, monumental set pieces, spew tanks, a monster toilet, artwork, and rare ephemera. Every square inch of the gallery transformed into the GWAR universe.
With characters like Oderus Urungus, Techno-Destructo, BälSäc The Jaws of Death, Beefcake The Mighty, Slymenstra Hymen, Jizmak Da Gusha, Berserker Blothar, and even a crack-addicted T-Rex named Gor-Gor, just to name a few… the band has not only carved out its niche but obliterated expectations for what a musical performance can be.
“For 40 years, GWAR have mounted a misanthropic critique of American culture dressed up as shock rock. This collection of artifacts offers a sense of the unique punk-inspired anti-art aesthetics of underground comics, science fiction fandom, role-playing games, and satirical splatter flick nerdishness at the heart of the band,” the band shares.
GWAR’s legacy includes two Grammy nominations, video games, comic books, and even a GWAR-themed bar in their hometown. With millions of concert tickets sold and dozens of self-produced films and documentaries, their cultural footprint extends far beyond music.
“This isn’t just a music exhibition,” says curator Roger Gastman. “GWAR represents one of the most successful long-term art collectives in American culture, and their influence on both underground and mainstream entertainment is undeniable. They came to destroy… and ended up creating something eternal.”
Let There Be GWAR is a celebration of DIY creativity, artistic rebellion, and collaborative world-building. Whether you’re a lifelong Bohab (GWAR fan) or simply curious about a band that makes splattering the audience with blood (is it fake?), tasteless jokes, decapitations of world leaders and pop stars and aliens’ part of their live set, this is the definitive gateway into the wild, weird, and wonderful world of GWAR.
Along with the exhibition, Beyond the Streets and GWAR will be releasing a co-branded collection. Including a new expanded version of the sold-out 400-page book – Let There Be GWAR that comes with a limited edition seven-inch record, a collection book of GWAR’s classic Mind Control Monthly newsletter, apparel, limited edition prints, and much more.
