Queer Aesthetics

Sa 24 October, 2015, Berlin-Kreuzberg

© Ismael Ogando

© Ismael Ogando

Workshop with Antke Engel and Ismael Ogando,

and special guest Nic Kay (Chicago)
presenting an excerpt from and talking about their work on the performance
lil BLK

Queer Aesthetics

Based on short, inspiring, provocative quotes on queer aesthetics by thinkers of diverse backgrounds as well as a variety of (audio-) visual material, this workshop initiates a polylogue between artistic and theoretical approaches. Participants are invited to engage with each other and the material. Taking seriously the agency of art and theory, we develop and discuss understandings of queer audio-visual culture and its potential to intervene in a complexity of racist, sexist, heteronormative, ableist, and occidentalist structures. What does it mean, to rewrite violent histories and to invent futures from multiple and diverse queer perspectives – and with a little help from queer art and cultural politics?

For the workshop we bring short, inspiring, provocative quotes on queer aesthetics by thinkers of diverse backgrounds as well as a variety of (audio-) visual material. While initiating a dialogue between the artistic and the theoretical approaches, we invite you, the participants, to engage with each other, with us as well as the material. Taking seriously the agency of art and theory we wish to collectively develop and discuss about understandings of queer audio-visual culture and its potential to intervene in a complexity of racist, sexist, heteronormative, ableist, and occidentalist structures. What does it mean, to rewrite violent histories and to invent futures from multiple and diverse queer perspectives?

lil BLK is an experimental solo performance. Influenced by New York City gay/queer ballroom culture, live punk shows, butoh and praise dance, lil BLK is a story about a fairy boi, child of god, little black girl, performer, and activist. The story plays out through a series of biographical moments that are equal parts narrative and dream. Wrestling with the desire to be seen in a society hell bent on controlling and crushing the black feminine body + spirit,
lil BLK aims to subvert these constraints and offers an unfettered representation of this experience. Through the exploration of theatrical form, NIC Kay highlights these desires and the traps of being a black performer searching for freedom on the stage and in a beat.

Nic Kay. Transdisciplinary artist obsessed with the act and process of moving, the change of place, position, and the clarity/meaning gleaned from said activity. Born and raised in The Bronx, New York, NIC graduated from Professional Performing Artist School in 2007 and was a Hemispheric Institute EMERGENYC Fellow in 2009. Now residing in Chicago, they are a founding member of 3rd Language, queer arts collective. NIC is currently in Residence at Links Hall.

Ismael Ogando. Born in Dominican Republic, studiedVisual Arts and Social Psychology at Universidad Autonoma deSanto Domingo. Works in media,journalism, archives and as culturalmanager. Currently is based inBerlin, working as editor-in-chieffor GROUND.

Antke Engel. Director of the Institute for Queer Theory, Berlin. Works on queer visual culture, feminist philosophy, and cultural politics.

> download pdf Queer Aesthetics WS 2015

Saturday, Oct 24, 2015
Workshop 15.00 – 18.00
(registration required: mail@queer-institut.de)
Performance 18.30 – 19.30
Meet & Greet 19.30 – 21.00

Werkstatt Adalbertstr. 71, Courtyard
U-Kottbusser Damm, Berlin-Kreuzberg

Part of the series challenging the neocolonial.
Commissioned by the Institute for Queer Theory.
Funded by the Amadeu Antonio Foundation.

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