PERFORMANCE

Austrian premiere

Droning Norwegian prog rock as a soundtrack of devotion to a queer black self-consciousness that knows no mercy for itself: with the energetic reappropriation of the Jamaican term “Batty Bwoy” (literally “butt boy”, highly derogatory slang for a homosexual or
queer person), Harald Beharie invokes demonic sensitivities and charming cruelties. A precarious body scours the space, revealing its vulnerability and celebrating moments of sovereignty. Beharie’s piece exposes myths, stereotypes, and (male) fantasies about an alleged queer monstrosity and addresses the fear of the queer body as a perverse and deviant figure. The work found inspiration in homophobic dancehall lyrics, diverse horror and thriller quotes from 70s Giallo films from Italy, and the survival strategies of the resilient “Gully Queens”, who constitute a queer underground community in Kingston.

Choreography and perfomance: Harald Beharie | Sculpture: Karoline Bakken Lund and Veronica Bruce | Composer: Ring van Mobius | Sound designer: Jassem Hindi | Outside eye: Hooman Sharifi and Ines Belli | With kind support from: Norwegian Art Council, TOU, FFUK, Sandnes and Oslo Municipality | Co-producer: Dansens Hus, Oslo and RAS. Thanks to Tobias Leira, Ingeborg Staxrud Olerud and Phillip McLeod.