‘Why am I happy to say yes to curating Meltdown? …because we can create the world we would like to live in.’

Against a backdrop of footage from Christine and the Queens’ two sold-out Royal Festival Hall shows, Red talks about his curation of the 28th Meltdown festival.

In doing so he draws particular attention to the repetitive nature of conversations around queerness. He expresses his frustration that rather than moving on and asking what queerness can be, and what it can open up in terms of human experience for everyone, the conversation around queerness is instead preoccupied with the same question. ‘It’s always about ‘do we have the right to be here?’ We shouldn't have to ask this question any more.’

The artist also explains how his role as curator offered him the opportunity to create and re-establish a space open to everyone. ‘The act of curating can be so wonderful, because you can install a landscape and an ethos.’

And he reflects on his own journey as an artist and performer, his need to be challenged in what he does, and wanting to remain a revolutionary in a society which is all too keen to put people in boxes.

CONTENT WARNING
Video contains strobe lighting and some nudity

Christine and the Queens' Meltdown took place at the Southbank Centre, 9 – 18 June 2023.

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