With the Berlinale (Berlin International Film Festival) happening this week in Berlin, the city is pretty much abuzz with celebrities and movie stars. This year’s movie festival features several big-name LGBT themed movies, the most famous being James Franco’s movie Interior. Leather Bar.

Franco is arguably the darling favorite for LGBT movie fans. His work as an actor often pushes gender boundaries many other modern actors avoid. Personally, I think that’s the attraction: his willingness to embrace gay themes.

Plenty of people have already discussed his work as an artist at length. Some pieces are quite controversial (like this jar of air) but there’s no denying his strange perspective on creative themes.

During the Berlinale, while Franco is briefly in town, he’s got an exhibit up at the Peres Projects gallery. Something worth checking out between all the movie screenings I’m attending.

GAY TOWN explores a variety of themes that are central to Franco’s artistic practice, mainly issues related to adolescence, public and private persona, stereotypes and other societal concerns such as society’s preoccupation with celebrity. Franco created most of the works for GAY TOWN over the past two years, making many of the works in hotel rooms, makeshift studios and other temporary locations whilst completing other projects, mainly motion pictures. Franco makes reference to several of his motion picture work and related projects in parts of the installations and other works on view in GAY TOWN.