Ahead of Wednesday’s event Art Sex Music with Cosey Fanni Tutti, Melanie Coles explores the 1976 ICA Exhibition Prostitution and why it's still being discussed four decades on.

In 1976 UK performance art group COUM Transmissions brought their exibition Prostitution to the ICA. The exhibition caused walkouts, made headlines, inspired a debate in the House of Commons, and is still regarded as one of the most controversial shows in both the ICA's history and that of British contemporary art.

COUM Transmissions was started by Genesis P-Orridge in Hull, UK and involved a cast of artistic collaborators, including performance artist Cosey Fanni Tutti. Their work was often extreme and Prostitution was no different: shocking performances alongside pornographic images of Cosey, who had entered the commercial pornographic world as a form of performance art. Also exhibited were props from COUM's performances ranging from a rusted knife to a jar of Vaseline to bloodied objects such as bandages, tampons and bottles of blood. The title Prostitution was just as much in reference to the art world as it was to the bodily act: Everything in the show is for sale at a price, even the people. For us the party on the opening night is the key to our stance, the most important performance. We shall also do a few actions as counterpoint later in the week. - Genesis P-Orridge, quoted from the original Prostitution poster The exhibition's opening night marked a pivotal moment in London’s late 70s cultural scene. A traditional speech from the director was replaced by a stripper, wine was replaced with beer, and muted chat was drowned out by punk band LSD – actually a moniker for early punk band Chelsea. The night also notably marked the official launch of Throbbing Gristle.

Immediately after the opening the exhibit had made the dailies, tabloids, punk fanzines and art press alike. The Telegraph featured a cartoon of P-Orridge and Fanni Tutti outside the ICA and the Daily Express ran the headline "State aid for Cosey's travelling sex troupe". The exhibit prompted a debate at parliament in regards to the future of ‘Contemporary Art’ in the UK and prompted the famous quote from a conservative MP that COUM were "the wreckers of civilization". The ICA, no stranger to controversial exhibits, held its position. Its arts centre director, Ted Little, told the Arts Council: The ICA’s policy is to present new and innovative work of British artists. I never say what the quality is like. The public must pass comment.