Exploring Color Spectrums Through Video Art
In the realm of contemporary art, the exhibition “Homage: Queer Lineages on Video” offers profound insights into the historical and cultural connections within the queer community. Hosted at Columbia University’s Wallach Art Gallery in the Lenfest Center for the Arts, this exhibition features eight pieces by seven artists from the Akeroyd Collection. Curated by Rattanamol Singh Johal, the show underscores the significance of nonlinearity in video art to reflect on the historical legacies that inform modern queer identities.
The exhibition presents works that explore the intersection of nature, history, and queer identity through innovative cinematic techniques and abstract expression. Influential filmmaker Apichatpong Weerasethakul pays tribute to Bruce Baille with “For Bruce” (2022), examining unorthodox narratives and landscapes. Kang Seung Lee’s “Garden” (2018) connects ritualistic art to the legacies of HIV/AIDS-impacted artists like Derek Jarman and Oh Joon-soo, deepening the dialogue on kinship and memory.
Dance and music are reinterpreted through the lenses of queer history. Lee’s “The Heart of a Hand” (2022) honors choreographer Goh Choo San through Filipino dancer Serafin’s tribute, while Tony Cokes utilizes vivid text and house music in “SM BNGRZ 1 + 2” (2021), illuminating the birth of the genre as a disco alternative for queer people of color in Chicago.
The power of archives is explored by P. Staff and Rirkrit Tiravanija. Staff’s “The Foundation” (2015) critiques the stewardship of queer cultural heritage, and Tiravanija’s collaboration with John Giorno in 2008 revisits influential queer lexicon through a ten-hour poetic performance.
Artists Carolyn Lazard and Dineo Seshee Bopape address queer abstraction and identity in works like “Red” (2021) and “a love supreme” (2005-6), examining contemporary societal dynamics from diverse perspectives, though Lazard’s contribution particularly renews a focus on accessibility and existing cultural frameworks.
“Homage” shines in its ability to portray the complexities and nonlinear progression of queer narratives. Through this exhibition, Johal not only showcases artistic talent but highlights the importance of preserving and exploring the varied paths of queer heritage, thus encouraging broader engagement with these stories within and beyond the LGBTQ+ community. The exhibition runs until October 19, fostering reflection on past achievements and the continuous evolution of queer identities.