Policing Gender in "Transhirstory in 99 Objects" at the Henry Art Gallery, curated by Chris E. Vargas.

Trans Hirstory in 99 Objects runs August 13, 2016 -- June 04, 2017

Although I had been aware of and admired his work for some time, I first met Chris E. Vargas in the fall of 2014. I am a huge fan of his collaborative film/video projects - Falling in Love...with Chris and Greg (with Greg Youmans), Homotopia, and Criminal Queers (with Eric Stanley). Chris is also the Executive Director of the Museum of Transhirstory and Art (MOTHA) - a creatively brilliant and politically poignant model of critique -- and the curator of Trans Hirstory in 99 Objects.

The Museum of Transgender Hirstory & Art, or MOTHA, was founded in 2013, with the mission of bringing a cohesive visual history of transgender culture into existence....MOTHA also critically interrogates contemporary arts institutionalization and developments within museum practices, with an eye to the transgender artist’s relationship to them. MOTHA is an imaginary museum. While it is forever “under construction,” it takes the form of temporary autonomous events..."

The exhibition Trans Hirstory in 99 Objects gathers archival materials and works by contemporary artists that narrate the history of transgender communities. Selections from Policing Gender are included in the exhibition along with artworks by Ria Brodell, micha cárdenas, Rhys Ernst, Darius X, The Transfused, Jono Vaughan, and Storme Webber.

Henry Art Gallery is the art museum of the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington located at 4100 15th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98105