Trans Art Is: Crossing Borders

Exhibit Curator: T Munoz

Form is live! Submit your work: http://chicagotherapycollective.org/opencall/

Deadline to submit is Friday 11/16 at 11pm. If you need an extension, please email us at [email protected].

 

Artists, for this exhibit we invite you to dive into your relationship with borders, however that resonates with you legally, geographically, physically, culturally, politically, psychologically, etc. What borders do you transgress, transcend or live at the edge of?

We’re thrilled to announce that T Munoz will be curating this exhibit. T asks artists to “think of all the ways that a person is considered illegal; where do their dreams go? In what ways do we cross borders to exist?”

T writes,

“When I think of what “crossing borders” means for a trans person of color, I think of how our bodies have always been policed, physically and mentally. We are always under surveillance, our existence lies within everyone else’s hands but ours. Our identity is considered legal or illegal by the state and laws we live under. Which poses the question what makes someone illegal/illegal? How many ways can one person be illegal? We are told when we can exist. I think about how we’ve physically had borders built between us and our dreams, our freedom. I think how mentally, we fear our every move. The entire world watches our every move, yet we still cross these borders-physically and mentally. We still take the risk to be ourselves. We still fight for our freedom in the ways we can. We have dreams, too.

I envision this exhibition to celebrate the lives of trans artist who do just that, cross borders. I envision this exhibit to give trans artists of color space to showcase their dreams. I think the exhibit should emphasize “There are dreams on this side of the border, too.” In whatever ever way that manifests for a trans person of color. All mediums of art should be showcased-whatever that “dream” is that the person posses, should be showcased. Through this exhibit, and the artists that are showcased, the “typical” narrative of a trans person should no longer exist. It should highlight the narratives of Trans artists that are never talked about. Exhibits like “Trans art is” is important and relevant because it gives trans people a space to be celebrated while we’re still alive. Trans lives still matter even before we die. This exhibit is a perfect reminder and a way that people can support trans artists.”

What does the theme “crossing borders” mean to you? Artists are welcome to submit their current works or create new works for the exhibit.

The Chicago Therapy Collective will provide installation support, marketing and sales, opening and closing event hosting, and honorariums for participating artists (exact amount TBD based on ticket sales). If you have questions, please reach out to our curator T Munoz, our producer Chris Walker, or therapist volunteer Iggy Ladden through [email protected].

Thanks and we look forward to receiving your submissions!

Chicago Therapy Collective

 

” Borders are set up to define the places that are safe and unsafe, to distinguish us from them. A border is a dividing line, a narrow strip along a steep edge. A borderland is a vague and undetermined place created by the emotional residue of an unnatural boundary. It is in a constant state of transition.The prohibited and forbidden are its inhabitants… I will not glorify those aspects of my culture which  have injured  me and which have injured  me in the name of protecting me. So, don’t give me your tenets and your laws. Don’t give me your lukewarm gods. What I want is an accounting… I want the  freedom to carve, chisel my own face, to staunch the  bleeding with ashes, to fashion  my own  gods  out  of my entrails. And if going home is denied me then  I will have to stand and claim my space, making a new culture — una cultura mestiza — with my own lumber, my own bricks and mortar and my own feminist architecture”

Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza, Gloria Anzaldúa.