A new photography book, Visitors, takes an in-depth look at the unexpected intersection between art and deathmatch wrestling, a hardcore offshoot of traditional wrestling that involves everything from nail-studded props and broken glass to barbed wire.
A collaboration between Adam Abdalla, the founder of New York-based art consultancy Cultural Counsel, and photographer Nick Karp, Visitors is aimed at both diehard deathmatch devotees and newcomers alike. Abdalla – who is also the founder of Orange Crush, an annual publication that seeks to bridge the gap between art and wrestling – has long been one of those devotees. ‘I’ve been a fan since the late 1990s,’ he says. ‘Back then, the only way to get your hands on deathmatches was through tape trading. It was eye-opening to see elements of real life and real danger – barbed wire, fire, piranhas – incorporated into professional wrestling.’
