Last Sunday, Middle Eastern art and culture publication Bidoun (available here) generated much buzz when it invited Syrian-American anthroposophist, sex columnist, and gay porn star Conner Habib to speak for its Full Moon Afternoon program at MoMA PS1. It was expected that the public might get squeamish during the Q&A, and would there be examples of his oeuvre screening in the background?
For the comfort of the diverse set of attendees, Habib took a more philosophical route: he spoke on the origins of anthroposophy, the demonization of masturbation, and its storied side effects—hairy palms, madness, and blindness.
The day was devoted to iconoclastic cultural figures that came of age in the U.S. but that could establish sideways links to South and West Asia. Bidoun contributor Anna Della Subin presented a public access TV show called The Door, which was hosted by Jack Kevorkian, the notorious Armenian-American pathologist, euthanasia proponent, and assisted-suicide advocate. In addition, Alexander Keefe illuminated the underground world of Indian-born media artist Shridhar Bapat through the rarely seen, Borges-inspired video Aleph Null.
Have a look at the images and pick up Bidoun #27, "Diaspora," here.
Photo by Charles Roussel, courtesy of MoMA PS1, and by Joseph Audeh
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Photo by Charles Roussel, courtesy of MoMA PS1
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Photo by Charles Roussel, courtesy of MoMA PS1
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Conner
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Negar Azimi (left) of Bidoun
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Photo by Charles Roussel, courtesy of MoMA PS1
For the comfort of the diverse set of attendees, Habib took a more philosophical route: he spoke on the origins of anthroposophy, the demonization of masturbation, and its storied side effects—hairy palms, madness, and blindness.
The day was devoted to iconoclastic cultural figures that came of age in the U.S. but that could establish sideways links to South and West Asia. Bidoun contributor Anna Della Subin presented a public access TV show called The Door, which was hosted by Jack Kevorkian, the notorious Armenian-American pathologist, euthanasia proponent, and assisted-suicide advocate. In addition, Alexander Keefe illuminated the underground world of Indian-born media artist Shridhar Bapat through the rarely seen, Borges-inspired video Aleph Null.
Have a look at the images and pick up Bidoun #27, "Diaspora," here.
Photo by Charles Roussel, courtesy of MoMA PS1, and by Joseph Audeh
Photo by Charles Roussel, courtesy of MoMA PS1
Photo by Charles Roussel, courtesy of MoMA PS1
Conner
Negar Azimi (left) of Bidoun
Photo by Charles Roussel, courtesy of MoMA PS1