Manual

This tiny book consists of notes, quotes, anecdotes, and other sampled material, compiled and written by Tony Cokes (USA) (C) & Tine Semb (NOR) (S) during June 2018 until March 2019. From S’s discovery of C’s video Mikrohaus, or the black atlantic? (2006–2008) in the dim basement of ZK/U – Zentrum für Kunst und Urbanistik at the ↗︎ 10th Berlin Biennale 2018, to a screening of the work in Oslo in October the same year, via hanging out in Bergen, months of texting — culminating in ↗︎ the solo show ‘Mikrohaus ++’ at Kunstnernes Hus, once again in Oslo, March 2019.

These texts do not draw a linear narrative, neither is this a publication of poetics. It is a written conversation in bits and pieces and a set of more or less accurate quotations and travel notes — on forms that circulate, hybrids, crossing communities, and other phenomena that unfolded as we went by. We suggest you read it as a collage, a remix, driven by questioning, an aim for awareness, longing, passion, and love.

And it ended up light green. As a blossoming carnation in a boutonniere; like the pigment painted on Ole Landmark’s functionalist building Bergen Kunsthall; the tiles covering Berlin’s Birkenstrasse U-Bahn station from 1961, or, as this paper. Polar green.

Compiled, written, and edited by Tony Cokes & Tine Semb. Published by Karmaklubb* & IGWTLI publishing, March 2019. As most of Karmaklubb* things, printed by Nilz & Otto Grafisk AS (NOR). Following the book are also five post cards with artworks containing carnations, an ancient code for gayness.

The collaboration with Tony Cokes started with an exploration of his video Mikrohaus, or the black atlantic? (2006–2008), the first part of the Karmaklubb* ‘Talks & screenings (on various forms of queerness)’-programme that launched October 2018. Its has later evolved into an ongoing writing dialogue, a series of discursive events, as well as the solo exhibition with Cokes, curated by Karmaklubb* at Kunstnernes Hus, Oslo, March 2019.

‘Me racist (misogynist, or homophobic)? But some of my best friends (and all my favorite musics) are black (queer, female, or all of the above)! Which, come to think of it, says something about the subtle distinctions of race, gender and sexual orientation that remain embedded in the very term “House” to this day.’ (Quote journalist and DJ Philip Sherburne in Tony Cokes’ video Mikrohaus, or the black atlantic? [2006–2008])