DRAGGING THE ARCHIVE: KINGS, QUEENS AND THINGS
with Orlando Myxx and #Sergina
8th June 2023 at Bishopsgate Institute
Read Elly Clarke's Academic-ish lecture about Dragging the Archive HERE.
Video made for Dragging the Archive: Kings, Queens and Things at Bishopsgate Institute on 8th June, which celebrated the handing over of the Orlando Myxx archive that contains over 2400 drag performances (along with other queer art events and exhibitions), which Myxx filmed between 2016-23 (and ongoing).
#Sergina was the host_ess for the evening, welcoming King Frankie Sinatra and Shakona to the stage - as well as Orlando Myxx. During the first ever screening of this film #Sergina watched herself watchign herself. At the second sounding of the song she sang along with it, a song that goes (and please feel free to sing along and make up any melody that comes to you):
[sung] we’re shedding light on the archive.
we’re shedding light on the archive.
we’re shedding light on the archive.
we’re shedding light on the archive.
we’re shedding light on the archive.
[spoken] i’m now free to get old, as after i’m gone these moving images will remain
these still images
straddling platforms
and now they are in this Victorian building.
surrounded by these books
and these histories
my present at one point in november, 2021,
was captured by orlando
on their camera
and it swiftly became my past
now is entangled with the archives
entangled with history
entangling with histories
entangled alongside those of others
[sung] the archive is alive
the archive is alive
we’re shedding light on the archive.
we’re shedding light on the archive.
[spoken] and we’re dragging the archive
we dragging in the archive
we’re dragging the archive
an archive is a form of drag
if ever you have moved your books. you will know this.
--
Once #Sergina finds a recording studio she will re-enmesh her chorister grade voice into the track.
After the screening of this film she removed some of her clothing and Elly Clarke took up the stage to deliver a lecture about Dragging the Archive, taken from her ongoing PhD research. Read this text HERE.
