Handbill for COUM Transmissions’ ‘Prostitution’ exhibition at the Institute of Contemporary Arts, London, October 1976 Courtesy Tate Archive

TATE on COUM Transmissions
http://www.tate.org.uk/tateetc/issue22/tbneedisplays.htm

The text on COUM Transmissions compounds an often re-iterated misconception about COUM Transmissions. For the sake of Astorical accuracy only, we add this correction.

COUM Transmissions was received as a series of visions by Genesis (Breyer) P-Orridge in Shrewsbury, Shropshire late Summer of 1969. Genesis  founded COUM Transmissions as an art project alone. There were NO co-founders. He had never met, nor heard of Christine Carol Newby  (later Christened Cosmosis by Genesis) at that time. The original members of COUM Transmissions were G P-O and John Jesus Shapeero. Later on Dr Timothy poston, Ian “Spydee” Evetts, Peter “Pinglewad” Winstanley all became members. Cosey began her connection with COUM Transmissions performances around 1971-72. She had however, always supported Genesis and COUM both conceptually as a member of the “Coumunity” at the HoHo Funhouse and functionally creating costumes and props. After beginning to also take part in street actions and arts festival performances she grew to add a unique and powerful element and became an integral aspect of the ever more intimate and extreme actions of COUM Transmissions. A perfect foil in the later explorations of sexuality, gender and stereotypes.

Genesis Breyer P-Orridge NYC 2011.