Misery LGBTQIA+ summer fair – Encoding / Decoding – Photo portraits

Video (3:43): Encoding / Decoding – Photo portraits of South Asian LGBTQ+ by Poulomi Desai at Misery LGBTQIA+ summer fair in London, UK, 2019. Video by Usurp Art.

Description (copy and paste from Youtube):

‘Misery ~ sad girl summer fair ~ a sober day for our sad girls, hot girls & not girls… Usurp Art + Poulomi Desai set up a photographic sanctuary booth in a tiny alcove with her slide projector with 35mm slides of published portraits of South Asian LGBTQ+, found medical slides and urban streets inviting audiences to become participants in a dialogue about, portraits, selfies and self-esteem, creating new sculpture like, layered images of themselves, interpretation, politics of the image, meaning and responding to the image projected onto their bodies, and analog / digital differences. It is also where the photographer reconnects with a younger generation that reflects and interacts with her / ze own past. This video is an initial proof of concept for further projects with Misery.

Thanks to Aisha [Mirza], all the crew at Misery and all the participants: Tara M, Arora, Cam, Monique, Sable, Sachini, Chirani, Lavanga, Gabrielle, Chesenne, Stephanie, Leona, Bobby, Rosa, Jenn, Saima, Ro, Maymana, Krishan, Kapil, Frey, Vik, Fozia, Nneka, Jessica, Eva, Tara J, and Marie.

“Today everything exists to end in a photograph.” 1977 Susan Sontag “On Photography”.

Misery [London, UK] is a mental health collective and sober club night centering healing and joy for queer, transgender, non-binary & intersex Black people and people of colour. Misery was started in 2019 by a group of friends (counsellors, DJs, art therapists, writers, legal case workers, community organizers, sex workers, chefs & people who have experience of sobriety, substance use and navigating the mental health system). We wanted to build on the incredible work already being done by QTIBPOC collectives and party-throwers in the UK, to create more spaces, options and experiences that feel ok and fun for our community.’

[The copyright of the video above remains with the original holder and it is used here for the purpose of education, comparison and criticism only.]