HOUSE OF CT PRESENTS GENDER*LANGUAGE W/ VERTOON
An evening with art, performance and talks
(Nederlandse tekst onderaan)
Last fall, Gender*Language and Vertoon had their first event on gender and language. On August 4th, at Felix Meritis House of CT presents an event where they shift focus to themselves: the queer experience. How do we use language to describe ourselves and our lives? What challenges arise in queer dating? And who gets to decide what is “queer” and what is “love” anyway? By using the method of queering: ‘to challenge, question the existing structures and to go in an opposite direction’, the program discusses queer ways of using language and talking about language.
And what about Pride? How do we reclaim Pride, both the word and the event, in a world of heteronormativity?
PROGRAM
The evening is made up of two panel discussions mixed with performances. The full program and all artists will be announced here and on the House of CT social channels in the coming weeks.
The program is curated by Jan Janssenwillen, the queer designer behind Gender*Language — an online reader platform sharing knowledge on the intersection of gender and language — in collaboration with Vertoon, a showcase of young, contemporary artists, and unorthodox (performance) art.
All talks are in English. You do not need to have attended the first event to be able to join this one.
Pics of the last Vertoon X Gender*Language:
NEDERLANDSE TEKST
Afgelopen najaar hadden Gender*Language en Vertoon een eerste avond over gender en taal. Op 4 augustus leggen we in Felix Meritis met House of CT de focus op onszelf: de queer beleving. Hoe gebruiken we taal om onszelf en ons leven te beschrijven? Welke uitdagingen kom je tegen bij queer dating? En wie bepaalt eigenlijk wat ‘queer’ en wat ‘liefde’ is? Gebruikmakend van de methode van queering: ‘het bevragen van bestaande structuren en er tegenin gaan’, bespreken we vanavond queer manieren van taalgebruik en hoe we praten óver taal.
En hoe zit het met Pride? Hoe herwinnen we Pride, zowel het jaarlijkse event als het Engelse woord an sich, in een wereld van heteronormativiteit?
De avond bestaat uit twee panelgesprekken gemixt met performances en is samengesteld door Jan Janssenwillen, de queer designer achter Gender*Language — een online lezersplatform dat kennis deelt op het snijvlak van gender en taal — in samenwerking met Vertoon, een showcase van jonge, hedendaagse kunstenaars en onorthodoxe (performance) kunst.
Alle gesprekken zijn in het Engels. Je hoeft niet bij het eerste evenement aanwezig te zijn geweest om deze avond te kunnen volgen.
PANEL & ARTISTS
Bebe (They/Them) – Panel member
Out of the norms set by Berat Bebek is a trans non-binary actor, artist, creator, performer, organizer, serotonin source, social butterfly and a professional fat. They were born and raised in Turkey but had to flee their country and started to live in the Netherlands in 2020. While studying chemistry in Bogazici University, along with socio-political experience from their social circles, they started to be more visible as an activist and as a queer person. Having a curious mentality, they let themselves fly through any and every aspect of art and learning through different perspectives. Falling down so many times throughout their life, they’re familiar with the feeling of the ground and now refusing to accept the norm of ‘being obliged to suffer’ towards queer people and believes it is time to reflect, retake and recreate.
Hartenprins – Zino Bakker (He/Him)
Director
Zino Tiamo Bakker graduated in 2020 as director and production designer from HKU. His work focuses on the different masks we put on and the insecurities we hide behind them. The contrast between raw emotions and magically colourful design characterises Zino’s style, and its distressing effect is central to his work.
Kiri Mioki (he/him) – Singer and Performer
Kiri Mioki is a queer artist who writes and produces his own Dutch pop songs. After studying law for a few years, he dropped out and started creating songs and visuals, against all advice from friends and family. He doesn’t shy away from difficult subjects but pours them into a pop song so it’s to everyone’s liking.
Bebe (They/Them) – Panel member
Out of the norms set by society. Actor, artist, creator, performer, organizer, serotonin source, social butterfly, professional fat.
ABOUT VERTOON
Vertoon is a showcase of young, leading artists. Every edition, one artist gets a platform to curate an evening around their art. With a program of unorthodox acts – music, performances, visuals, dance – expression and eccentricity are celebrated.
ABOUT JAN JANSSENSWILLEN
Jan Janssenswillen (he/she/they) is the creator of Gender*Language. They’re a queer designer whose work revolves around socio-political themes such as queer and gender identity and club culture. They work primarily in communication and design, for the cultural sector and one of Amsterdam’s techno clubs, RADION.