Opening: Queerness in Photography

C/O Berlin cordially invites you to the opening of the new exhibition trilogy Queerness in Photography on Friday, Sep 16, 2022 at 20:00. The collection Under Cover . A Secret History of Cross-Dressers of French filmmaker Sébastien Lifshitz provides insight into the tradition of cross dressing between 1860 and the end of the twentieth century, and shows the visual examination of gender roles as a historical phenomenon. With Casa Susanna . Cindy Sherman Collection, the world’s most famous artist of disguise presents her collection of original images of Casa Susanna – a safe space for cross-dressers and trans women in New York in the 1950s and 1960s. Back in 1992, Tilda Swinton starred in the award-winning film adaptation Orlando, based on the 1928 novel by Virginia Woolf. The works, some of which were specially conceived for the group exhibition Orlando . Curated by Tilda Swinton present different perspectives on questions of identity, gender, origin and sexuality.

The exhibition program will be complemented and expanded by the Utopia/Dystopia event series curated by Todd Sekuler & Zoya at various venues in Berlin. As a kick-off you can look forward to a performance by Mandhla. and DJ sets by Bad Puppy and Lotic at the opening. Their musical inclinations combine practices of transformation, reclamation, vibrancy and strength, unleashing potential out of the coexistence of expanding and foreclosing possibilities – all that is at the heart of the Utopia/Dystopia concept.

Todd Sekuler is a freelance curator, and anthropologist based at Humboldt University in Berlin.

Zoya. is a curator, translator, educator and organizer based in Berlin.

Mandhla. is a trans-feminine gender non-conforming multi-media performance artist from Zimbabwe, Africa. As a current resident in Berlin, she brings a blend of experimental R&B and Soul music intertwined with visual projections and performative dancing.

Bad Puppy is a trans femme creature from Iztapalapa, Mexico, currently living in Berlin. Their sets are full-on perreo rave, where it is easy to dance to a classic reggaetón vocal with a massive techno beat. As part of the House of Living Colors, Bad Puppy focuses on taking space and empowering trans and non-binary folks from the global south.

Lotic is an American electronic musician based in Berlin. Upon her move to Berlin in 2012, Lotic’s freewheeling sound aesthetic quickly cut a swath through the city’s nightlife with resident DJ sets at Berghain and Chesters.

photo: Lotic © Philip Primus