Buy us some coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/posladek
On a scorching summer day, we had the pleasure of chatting with the delightful Simon Chang and Jernej Škof. Simon, a photographer of Taiwanese origin, has been working in Europe for several years. Jernej, a long-time Škuc coordinator, is also the Programme Coordinator of the Tiffany Club. This June, as part of the 40th anniversary of public LGBT activity in Slovenia, they co-hosted a photography exhibition on drag queens at the Kresija Gallery, located in the heart of Slovenia's capital. The exhibition delves into the intimate behind-the-scenes moments of drag performances, capturing the authentic lives of individuals from the local LGBT community. Our conversation spanned a wide range of topics, including community, technical specifics, working conditions, intimacy, cultural appropriation, drag queen mentors, black-and-white photography, slaughterhouses, Kurdistan, RuPaul, Taiwan, local homophobia, sensibilities, and voguing.
We also explored what it means to be a drag queen, how they differ from high-production houses abroad, Simon's photographic agenda, and the overall rise of performers post-covid. Happy listening and stay fabulous*
Music: Ema Kobal & Urška Bajec Košmerlj.
Notes:
Exhibition Drag Queens: : https://www.ljubljana.si/sl/moja-ljubljana/kultura-v-ljubljani/razstave-v-razstavnih-prostorih-mol/aktualne-razstave/kraljice-preobleke/
Exhibition on RTV 365: https://365.rtvslo.si/arhiv/kultura/175051032
Simon Chang IG: https://www.instagram.com/simonchang30657073/
Dragoslavija IG: https://www.instagram.com/dragoslavia/
Dragoslavia YT: https://www.youtube.com/@dragoslavia
RuPaul: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RuPaul
40-letnica gibanja skupnosti LGBTQIA+ v Sloveniji: https://www.rtvslo.si/kultura/razstave/ob-40-letnici-gibanja-skupnosti-lgbtqia-v-sloveniji-v-galeriji-skuc-zaziveli-skupnostni-prostori/703303
Attack on Mariborka: https://www.delo.si/novice/crna-kronika/knjigarna-mariborka-tarca-homofobnih-napadov
Random video of local queens: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eQd4p-0wlA
Vouge dance: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vogue_(dance)
Butō: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butoh
Swing (dance): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swing_(dance)
Marijo Zupanov: Under the Tuck (Alkatraz): https://galerijalkatraz.org/?p=18328
Shepherds and the Slaughterhouse: https://shop.galerijafotografija.si/products/simon-chang-shepherds-and-the-slaughterhouse?_pos=3&_psq=slaughter&_ss=e&_v=1.0
Shepherds and the Slaughterhouse Photo-book (award): https://www.rtvslo.si/kultura/vizualna-umetnost/fotoknjiga-pastirji-in-klavnica-simona-changa-nagrajena-na-oblikovalskem-tekmovanju-v-belfastu/707111
Shepherds and the Slaughterhouse newspaper/zine: https://shop.galerijafotografija.si/products/simon-chang-shepherds-and-the-slaughterhouse-newspaper?_pos=1&_psq=slaugh&_ss=e&_v=1.0
Tiffany Club: https://www.instagram.com/klubtiffany/