Ahead of his exhibition this weekend at Studio 1111 to close out Berlin Art Week, we spoke to 10 collaborator Byron Spencer about the world he has created and his recent 10 Magazine Australia and 10 Men Australia covers:

Tell us everything about this exhibition! What can we expect?

This show kind of landed cosmically in my lap out of the blue. Studio 1111, where it’s being held, is such an amazing venue — it’s a gallery/nightclub hybrid with a downstairs bunker room. The walls wrap around you floor-to-ceiling with immersive illuminated projections and incredible sound.

The first half of the evening will be a very intimate version of me. It’s actually the most personal thing I’ve ever put out there… although there are all the visuals, I feel they almost come secondary to the sound. I sound-designed it all in time like a metamorphic, turbo-nostalgic collage. A lot of the sound is narrated and arranged from my journals, my text messages, and my clairvoyants. Then there’s a lot of real-time sound from being on sets — hearing more of the reality of the process. Then many of my shoots but reinterpreted- revisited - reimagined relax. Addison Rae guided meditation, Billie Eilish crying, Charli xcx on handycam and in 3D, Gaga, Justin Bieber's Purpose tour, a phone conversation with Paris Hilton, Julia Fox attacking me, Sydney Sweeney reading a letter she wrote for me in covid, PS2 boys uncensored, Troye Sivan eating a watermelon and painting his face, me naked.

It’s a bit like a guided meditation sound bath with moments of hype.

Then DeepFaith, my music project, takes over and it becomes a super-hypo 3D church pop world — the first of our installments of Church.

Why is now the right time to do an exhibition of your work?

I feel I’m at a bit of a crossroads at the moment, where my worlds of performance and visuals are starting to meet. It feels really exciting for me to move more into this direction. I’m also so digital in my approach with much of my work, so being able to immerse people like this feels like a timely way to share the universe. It’s such an interesting time for digital/physical/music — PHYGITAL MUSICAL THEATRE.

Which piece are you most excited for people to see?

I’m most excited for people to see the unfiltered versions of lots of my shoots, and I’m excited to just put myself out there a bit more forward-facing… why not. Also the NSFW is cool to put up in public.

What’s been the biggest challenge preparing for this?

Ummm… I’m still challenged with how much content I have. Honestly, I can’t stop adding more… not sure how to stop.

You’ll be premiering a special film from our cover story with Lisa Rinna. Tell us about working with Rinna and what you’ve learned from her.

Lisa is kind of this special soul who has come into my life. To be honest, I never watched Housewives or anything — I’d heard her name but didn’t know much. I told her this when I first shot her last year… she loved that. But soon I just felt so comfortable and adored her energy — it felt like I did already know her.

It’s because she’s a thespian. I feel thespian energy just understands each other a bit, or something. I think our creative relationship is only just beginning. I’m learning from her that it’s so fun to be fun and fabulous and true and honest and wild and emotional and brave… and also to keep working. She is so impressive with that. Honestly, I adore her.

The film is going to be epic. It’s a bit like an episode of Fashion TV meets The Tonys. The music is epic, and let’s just say… there may be a special Lisa Rinna dance track in the making.

How do you hope people feel after leaving and experiencing all your amazing work?

Hopefully inspired — and happy sad.

There’s a secret special guest performing at the after party… can we get any clues?

Ummmmm… out of respect for the guest, I’m not giving any clues yet, as they want to keep quiet for the moment. Maybe on instagram from tomorrow I will do very subtle clues. :) One amazing guest that is announced though is legendary Casey Spooner :)

Soundtrack to the exhibition?

Full sound design: mixtures of journals, new material, conversations, me singing at my grandma’s funeral, tapes I made when I was a boy… ambient sound healing meets an over-sensory Gravitron ride and moments from DeepFaith’s first album.

You’re a longtime 10 contributor and collaborator. Give us your best 10 words to describe the world of Byron Spencer and this exhibition!

Oh gosh.
I wasn’t sure, so I asked ChatGPT…
It said:
“Playful, surreal, vibrant, chaotic, cinematic, intimate, eccentric, dreamlike, joyful, fearless.”

What’s next?

I’m flying straight to Sydney to shoot someone extremely iconic in a very surreal POP way — it’s exciting. DeepFaith also has a single coming out. Our album will start rolling out. I want to start auditioning for Broadway. Hug my family. Sleep. Then become a dancer and painter and cook more.

See some of our favourite Byron x 10 Australia moments in the gallery below.

Byron Spencer's Exhibition and Berlin Art Week Closing Party is on September 13th at Studio 1111, Potsdamer Straße 96, 10785 Berlin. RSVP via Instagram.

Above image: Ethel Cain in Issue 22 of 10 Magazine Australia.

@spencernotspencer