Richie Culver Explores Memory, Loss, and Club Culture in “The Persistence of Things”

What happens to the things we leave behind? The shoes we danced in, the photographs we almost forgot about, or the little objects that somehow hold entire chapters of our lives? In his exhibition The Persistence of Things at Pacheco, British artist Richie Culver explores the relationship between memory, nostalgia, and loss, transforming everyday objects into deeply personal works of art.

Blurring the lines between sculpture, photography, and found objects, Culver brings together worn-out Reebok Classics, personal photographs, and fragments of the past. Some are preserved in resin, while others are stapled, torn, or partially removed, reflecting the way memories can become distorted or disappear over time. There’s something beautifully imperfect about it all, as if each piece carries a story that doesn’t necessarily need to be fully explained.

British rave culture also plays an important role in the exhibition. Having collected his friends’ old Reeboks since the 1990s, Culver turns these iconic sneakers into symbols of youth, identity, and belonging. One particularly memorable story takes us back to his first trip to Ibiza, where he spotted Alexander McQueen at Pacha wearing camouflage trousers and Reebok Classics. Beyond their connection to fashion and nightlife, these shoes become reminders of dance floors, friendships, and moments that can never quite be recreated.

But The Persistence of Things also takes a more intimate turn. In His Last Words (2026), Culver places a photograph of his stepfather’s final moments onto a worn Reebok, opening up a conversation about grief and the difficulty many men face when expressing vulnerability. Rather than presenting mourning as something distant or dramatic, the artist approaches it through objects that feel familiar, ordinary, and profoundly human.

At its heart, The Persistence of Things isn’t simply about looking back. It’s about understanding how the past continues to exist in the things we keep, even when their original meaning begins to fade. Moving between the energy of 1990s club culture and the quiet intimacy of personal loss, Richie Culver reminds us that sometimes the most ordinary objects carry the most extraordinary memories. The exhibition is on view at Pacheco until 19 December 2026.