As queer artists, we engage ritual every time we process moments, experiences, and histories that we translate into our own creative languages in order to phantom nightmares, realities, and dreams. This queer and creative translation allows for intermingling of contradictions, exposure of branded rejections and hidden desires, and travel transgressing the borders of time. As we release into new realities, we exhale and inhale the toxins and remedies of popular culture, emotions, voices, and movements. Processing is a language that we’ve inherited from the relentlessly queer.

Part of 2nd Floor Rear, Lenses is a multimedia exhibition that shares digital videos, prints, collage, interactive sculpture and video installation. There will also be an ongoing interactive zine project, accepting audience contributions. Through this exhibition, zine project, and performance night, we hope to stitch together the plethora of processing as a ritual of witnessing and creating. As Audre Lorde states, “caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is an act of self-preservation and that is an act of political warfare.” Queer processing, queer creating is existing and translating the world that has tried so hard to tame our wild tongues as Gloria Anzaldúa would write. Lenses encourages queer tongues to continue unearthing their process by releasing their tongue wild until new languages and realities are created.

PARTICIPATING ARTISTS:
Sarita Hernandez
Vicko Alvarez Vega
Alicia Obermeyer
Tiffany Johnson
Ruby Thorkelson
Jose Luis Benavides
A.J. McClenon
Anja Morell
Iryne Roh

Video screening and sound performance will take place at 4PM and then again at 5:30PM.

There will be prints and zines for sale by some of the artists too, so you can take something home with you.

**Bring some cash if you have some to spare, so you can donate to artists who give their generous time, imagination, lense and energy to us. and you can buy some small artworks! There may be digital means of exchange as well.

ZINE PARTICIPATION AND CREATION
Make a zine with us! This exhibition is asking for audience participation in the form of 8.5″ X 5.5″ zine-able artwork. Artists are sharing their perspectives, but your perspective and process are important too! Your contribution will be included in a zine that will be organized and printed after the duration of the exhibition!
We want to see through your lense.
You can create at home, and bring it into Nitecap, but we will also have a zine-creating station for spontaneous making!

2nd Floor Rear 2017: RITUAL is moveable feast of artist-run events, projects, exhibitions, and performances that shine a light on the occult, hidden nature of alternative arts practices and the communities of care that spring up around them. The 2017 edition of 2nd Floor Rear kicks off with a dinner party on the evening of Friday, February 3, continues on Saturday, February 4, with events throughout Avondale, Logan Square, Humboldt Park, and Wicker Park, and wraps up wraps up on Sunday, February 5, with events spanning Pilsen and Little Village. Over 125 Chicago artists, curators, organizers, and venues are participating in 35 events.

Official Website

More events on this date

Tags: 2nd Floor Rear, 2nd Floor Rear 2017, A.J. McClenon, Alicia Obermeyer, Anja Morell, Chicago, Iryne Roh, Jose Luis Benavides, Lower West Side, Nitecap Coffee Bar, Ruby Thorkelson, Sarita Hernandez, Tiffany Johnson, Vicko Alvarez Vega