Mass MoCA Jeffrey Gibson Power Full Because We're Different (N. Adams)

The installation features seven aspirational and newly constructed oversized garments, which are adorned with beads and found materials, that have been organized in kaleidoscopic patterns and are suspended from the ceiling on tipi poles or worn during performances. These works are informed by various faith-based regalia and club culture — paying homage to the past while signaling hope for the future. They celebreate the differences indigenous and queer people carry that make them power full and inquire about the two-spirit nature of humans, that allows us to walk between the material & the spiritual, male & female, past & present, and ordinary and extraordinary.

ABOUT THE EXHIBIT:

You can learn more about the Exhibit & download the catalog using this link:

Gibson views the exhibition as an invitation to other Indigenous creatives to contribute to a space where difference is not only considered, it is celebrated. The installation features seven aspirational and newly constructed oversized garments, which are adorned with beads and found materials, that have been organized in kaleidoscopic patterns and are suspended from the ceiling on tipi poles or worn during performances. These works are informed by various faith-based regalia and club culture — paying homage to the past while signaling hope for the future.

POWER FULL BECAUSE WE’RE DIFFERENT also offers an exploration into the term “two-spirit”, a third gender which is both, and neither, male or female and is often embraced by many Indigenous individuals and communities to encompass gender and spiritual identity. The exhibition will include the 1992 documentary Two Spirit People by Michel Beauchemin, Lori Levy, and Gretchen Vogel, which features Indigenous two-spirit individuals discussing the term and their identities as creatives on the streets of the Bay Area.

A new video installation, suspended from the ceiling, will accompany the documentary harnessing both contemporary and early drag culture that facilitates in creating a club-like atmosphere in the first half of the gallery. Titled Your Spirit Whispers in My Ear (2024), the collection of videos are edited by Sancia Miala Shiba Nash with a soundtrack by Patrick “Reachout” Coll and the material for the videos is crowd-sourced from more than 20 Indigenous two-spirit individuals, DJs, drag performers, academics, and activists.

A mirrored, multi-colored wall bisects the gallery space, end-to-end and floor-to-ceiling reflecting the videos and other works in the galleries creating a kaleidoscopic vision for visitors. Seven,12×12-foot fused glass performance stages with graphic geometric designs further amplify the experience. Each of the oversized garments will be suspended from the ceiling above its corresponding dance floor, and all seven will be distributed on both sides of the wall. These stages will be the site of many of the performances that will unfold throughout the 18-month exhibition.

The exhibition is book-ended in two mezzanine galleries. The lower space contains a new two-channel video depicting Gibson wearing all seven garments in the exhibition, almost unaware of the camera, yet still conscious of being seen. This new video is inspired by legendary performer Leigh Bowery, a longtime influence for Gibson’s work. In particular, Gibson is channeling Bowery’s 1988 performance at the Anthony D’Offay Gallery in London, in which Bowery took up residence in the gallery’s street facing window behind a one way mirror. Each day Bowery tried on different costumes while preening and posing. Though the audience could see him, Bowery could only see himself raising the question of revealing and concealing one’s presence. The upper space will contain a resource space curated with Gibson and Antonia Oliver at the artist’s studio presented in three iterations over the 18-month exhibition; this space will open with a focus on videos, costumes, and texts by Two-Spirit contributors to Gibson’s exhibition.

CARPOOLING/RIDE-SHARE: Carpooling is a great way to get to know other men, save money on gas, and help to reduce your carbon footprint and save the planet. If you need a ride or are open to carpooling, please indicate that when you are registering, & our ride coordinator will try to match you with people nearby who are interested in carpooling or offering rides.

OR : Please donate $10-$20 to help assure Q-MoB can continue to offer more than 20 activities & multiple resources & services to rural queer men all over the region. If you attend 2 or more Q-MoB events/month, please consider becoming a monthly sustaining donor member. By donating $25/mo, $35/mo, $50/mo, $75/mo, $100/mo, or more you can help to sustain the incredible variety of activities, services, and resources Q-MoB provides and assure all of these activities are accessible to men regardless of their age, income, or ability, and best of all you can come to all Q-MoB activities FREE.

HOW TO REACH US THE DAY OF THE EVENT: If on the day of the event you need to cancel or be late or have trouble finding the group, please call/text the Bart 503-734-6508

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

MASS MoCA, 1040 Mass MoCA Way, North Adams, United States