At a moment of maximum anxiety and backlash over the fundamental human rights to autonomy, expressivity, modification, and self-transformation of the body, this convening of artists, activists, and intellectuals imagines and enacts transgender art and music as a vehicle for dialogue across differences.
This afternoon happening features a series of panel discussions exploring topics including an examination of trans life through the lens of time, and multigenerational voices telling their stories and exploring the creative projects that have been born out of trans life. Participants include: celebrated transgender trailblazer Kate Bornstein (she/her); visual and performance artist Cassils (they/them); Northern California-based artist and musician Chuquimamani-Condori (they/them), belonging to the Pakajaqi nation of Aymara people internationally celebrated author, activist, and public speaker and Co-Founder Trans Student Educational Resources Eli Erlick (she/her); Faltas author and founder of Trans Equity Consulting Cecilia Gentilli (she/her); psychoanalyst and internationally recognized expert on gender identity Griffin Hansbury (he/him); New York City comedian and drag king Murray Hill (he/him); AJ Lewis (he/him), Co-Founder of the NYC Trans Oral History Project; genderless dragon Tiamat Legion Medusa (it/its); trans Latina writer, artist, and organizer Xiomara Sebastián Castro Niculescu (she/her); Transgender Health Care Coordinator at Callen-Lorde D’hana Perry (they/them); traveling artist and activist Early Shinada (they/them); academic and founder of the academic discipline of transgender studies Sandy Stone (she/her); Dao Tran (she/her), editor and Interim Co- Executive Director of oral history nonprofit Voices of Witness, that work to advance human rights; scholar and curator Jeanne Vaccaro (she/her); Sierra Leonean-American vocalist, composer, and sound artist ricky sallay zoker (they/them); among others.
Additional on-site activations include media and reading rooms, and a sound installation created by Aviva Silverman on behalf of the NYC Trans Oral History Project, a grass-roots, volunteer-based archive of over 200 interviews of trans New Yorkers. This thought-provoking salon serves as a hub of activity celebrating transgender liberation through intergenerational kinship—sharing stories of survival, joy, and the legacies of counter-cultural movement building.
Presented in conjunction with Mutant;Destrudo, the Armory’s new commission by the multifaceted artist and creator Arca that continues her practice of addressing themes of psychosexuality, science fiction, and gender identity.
Making Space at the Armory is supported, in part, with public funds from the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional public support is provided by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature.
Image: Yves B. Golden, Memoir (detail), 2017. Image courtesy of the NYC Trans Oral History Project.
October 14, 2023
Saturday, October 14, 2023, 12:00pm–6:00pm
Tickets: $45 (plus fees)
Various Spaces
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Masks are optional. To view additional COVID-19 Policies, please visit our FAQs page.
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