NYMPHO 2.0 - July 2nd, 2021
During my thesis study, I was given the opportunity to collaborate on a DJ and performance art oriented club night, hosted by a trio of my close friends - Tom Rands (monoga.my), Theo Holmstead-Scott (Eva Lucian) and Kartar Singh (DIESEL) - who collectively produce queer events within a club night context. For this event, I mapped and photographed the space, inserted moments of intervention, and created a soundscape for my ~45 minute slot in the DJ booth.
Hosted at Anthology Lounge on Karangahape Road, the event was simply titled NYMPHO, an abbreviation of the word nymphomania, alluding to the envisioned prompt of “sexual liberation and gender euphoria,” the quote of which was bannered across the gig’s chosen social media platforms.
On the night, I transformed all resting surfaces into thick plastic masses. This texture was slick and erotic. As the deafening noise of each set encircle the venue, one could still hear the sharp crinkling as one sat, shuffled or played with the material, rendering those who rested still very aware of their body in their state of alcoholic or drug induced intoxication.
In addition to this, I intervened with the gender-non-specific restrooms with a series of UV lights, intentionally creating a visually separate space from the dance floor. Throughout the night as the UV exposed the bathrooms as they got dirtier, the attendees themselves got filthier too. Coaxing the disjointed reality was amplified as the only mirrors in the venue were essentially blacked out.
The following imagery was produced by yours truly:
(Photography by myself -- logo by Che Ebrahim / @hotandsad -- additional editing by Tom Rands / @monoga.my)
If you've made it this far, be sure to check out my silly little set from NYMPHO 2.0 !!