Beyond Ballroom Culture

How did you get inspired to become a curator?

It was quite coincidental. I did a Bachelor's in social anthropology and dance in Cape Town and then after that, I took some time off from studying and worked a bit. That same year, I started writing for a South African contemporary art magazine. I always had a troublesome relationship with visual art. So I took this year to do a bit of research for myself about what visual art is; what does it give? How can I be a bit more intentional about how I experience it? My interests are really about recirculating blackness and queerness and all the related and intersecting topics and issues that relate to those two kinds of experiences. So I made this concerted effort to go and see the exhibitions of black and POC artists, and then write about them as a way of being a bit more of an engaged spectator. Also, I needed money, so I thought all of these desires could kind of intersect. 

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Can you tell us about the process of curating this exhibition?

It was quite an emergent and organic process because it was not my idea. I was contacted by Elena Ndidi who is part of Bozar’s artistic and curatorial team. It was one of the other people in the artistic team, Alberta, who happened to come across the photographer, Nickolas Kuskin, who is kind of the core element of the exhibition. Elena's mode of curation is quite collaborative, so she thought it would be a good idea to reach out to people that are more connected to the ballroom scene. She reached out to Eric Cyuzuzo because he used to be in the ballroom scene, so he's quite familiar with it. They aligned forces to create a public programme around the exhibition, making it more grounded in the reality of the ballroom community in Belgium. Eric then proposed the idea of involving me as a guest curator. And this is how I was invited. I think that also tells the story of the organic, emergent nature of black collaboration and black creativity in a certain sense.

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What are some of the themes and narratives that you want to highlight with the exhibition? And what is their importance to you?

I'm a black and queer person. I'm not in the ballroom scene, but I have a lot of affinity with the scene. It represents something that is close to my heart, and really important in the sense of black people creating spaces for creativity and imagining beyond the current circumstances. For me, it's an opportunity to pay a bit of homage to the Royal House of LaBeija, one of the houses that really paved the way for ballroom as a global movement for emancipation and creative expression of black queer people. We're really lucky to have big figures within the ballroom community sharing a lot of the history with us, such as Jeffery ‘Kiddie’ and Kevin Ultra Omni. But even the stories they're sharing have multiple narratives about ballroom’s origins. I find it quite beautiful that there isn't a single story. We are also witnessing a rise in transphobic and homophobic legislation, so the inspiration for creative resistance is urgent.

We're really lucky to have big figures within the ballroom community sharing a lot of the history with us

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How did you choose the pieces to include and what do they reveal about the house of LaBeija?

I think we were trying to choose elements that give a rich snapshot of how complex those moments were. We spoke about the history of black communities, cultural artefacts, objects and practices being mostly captured by white lenses. In Nickolas’ photography, you see this very nuanced representation of what that scene is, but also the complex relationship between white lenses and black subjects, and the possibilities that it can create. There are so many layers in that interaction. Moreover, how do we have a contemporary conversation about what this collaboration means and how to deal and work with that in a way that is as ethical as possible? 

Try to surround yourself with people that will hold you accountable, question you, and challenge you with grace and love.

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Do you have any advice for young curators and others who are interested in preserving black and queer culture?

For me, positionality is very important. If you are a curator or someone who is trying to create cultural context, just try to be transparent with who you are, and from what position you speak. Try to read broadly through cultural reading such as through movies and music. Go to cultural events that can nuance your own biases. In my trajectory as someone who is curating different kinds of spaces, curating means a different thing for me here than it did in South Africa. The way that I work with race in Belgium is different as it has a different history. Try to surround yourself with people that will hold you accountable, question you, and challenge you with grace and love. Finally, try to remain curious. I still ask, how can we be as rigorous as possible while still saying something?

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<div class="editorial-banner"> <div class=“editorial-credits”> @kopano.maroga  /  @bozarbrussels </div></div>