Vivid Projects and Mac Birmingham team up for this programme of film screenings, performance and audio-visual interventions to explore the world of queer glamour and contested sexuality.
'Realness' (May 16) presents an AV installation which deconstructs Jennie Livingston's seminal documentary 'Paris is Burning' (1990), an exploration into the 80s vogue ball scene. The second event 'Covers: Graceful Series' (May 22) is performed by Harold Offeh, a Ghanian born artist whose work spans video, photography and digital media and assesses contemporary popular culture. For this event, Offeh will attempt to transform a series of music album covers from the 70s and 80s into durational performances. Artist Kate Spence will also present a special commission, followed by an artist Q&A.
The third instalment comes from New York based visual artist, Rashaad Newsome whose work celebrates the fluidity of gender, and explores issues of race, class and sexuality by sampling various visual and cultural symbols associated with African-American culture. Here Newsome presents a performance-video: a choreographed sound score composed of repeated gestures movements and vocalisations, with the artist remixing the audio using a Nintendo Wii game controller. The screening will be followed by a 'Vogue soundtrack' curated by DJ Greg Haines (July 3). Tickets for the events on May 22 and July 3 should be booked in advance.