The new video work SM BNGRZ.03.01–03 (15:53) by American artist Tony Cokes addresses meanings, ambitions, and dreams concerning (queer) club culture in post-pandemic times. The work samples international voices and material partly collected from texts produced by Karmaklubb*, amongst others. The work traces movements from melancholy to resilience. First shown at FELIX GAUDLITZ in the show ‘↗︎ SM BNGRZ’, Vienna, 27 November 2021–29 January 2022. Later shown with Karmaklubb* at ‘↗︎ FESTIVITY AMOUR’ at MUNCH, Oslo, 17–18 June 2022, and as part of the Karmaklubb* programming during ↗︎ METEOR International Theatre Festival at Landmark, Bergen Kunsthall, 27 October 2023. Update Tony, 16 September 2023: “I did show it at the American Academy in Rome Open Studio in June with my Free Britney? piece from last year [2022]. Since the show at Felix’, sm bngrz [sic.] has mainly resulted in a crazy book based on parts 1 & 2. I also showed 1 & 2 side by side in my show at gn [Greene Naftali] in NYC, and did an augmented reality version of a short excerpt for a show that's up in public space in central Frankfurt, Germany until next spring [2024].”
All photos by ↗︎ Kunst Dokumentation. All photos courtesy of Tony Cokes; FELIX GAUDLITZ, Vienna; Greene Naftali, New York; Hannah Hoffmann, Los Angeles; and Electronic Arts Intermix.
