| Art Exhibition Highlights the Harsh Realities of Life for Mongolias Sexuality Minorities |
|
The first art exhibition dedicated to Mongolias lesbian, gay, bisexual
and transgender community will be held at the Modern Art Gallery in
Ulaanbaatar from July 3-8. The exhibition, Beyond the Blue Sky, created by American Fulbright Fellow Brandt Miller in collaboration with the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) community and local and international artists, will for the first time in Mongolias history express through art the realities of life for a largely hidden sector of society who daily face discrimination, oppression and persecution. The exhibition will feature photographs of Mongolian lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in a range of settings that challenge traditional notions of gender and sexuality. To ensure the safety of participants, and to also represent the hidden nature of LGBT peoples lives and their invisibility in society, their faces were covered with khadag. The use of khadag that traditionally covers the faces of those who have died also symbolically mirrors the present reality in which many LGBT people feel they are not fully living. The exhibition will also include poetry written by LGBT people, personal histories and testimonies of LGBT people which tell of the abuses and hardships they have suffered, and a short film made by a New York City filmmaker that captures the difficulties of life and love for two gay males in Mongolia and which features an original soundtrack by renowned Mongolian band Altan Urag. The aim of the exhibition is to raise awareness among the general public of the harsh realities of life for Mongolias LGBT people and to create a voice to unify them in an environment where they are not going to be marginalised and will ultimately be accepted, said creator, Brandt Miller. The faceless theme is ongoing throughout the exhibition and is a reflection of the way many LGBT people in Mongolia feel about themselves. Every day they suffer a range of human rights abuses and are forced by circumstance to lead largely hidden lives. Through my research, I have learned that physical or emotional violence is common for people who are openly gay or transgender, and that this primarily comes from friends, family and colleagues. This is stopping people from being open, and their not being able to be open is stopping any progress towards acceptance. I want to give life and reality to these people who have been vilified. The invitation-only opening night of the art show on July 2 will feature performances by Mongolian luminaries such as jazz and blues singer Naran, singer Misheel, band Altan Urag and the Tumen Ekh Ensemble dancers. The exhibition will be open to the public from July 3-8. The exhibition is supported by the Mongolian Arts Council, United States Ambassador to Mongolia Mark Minton, the British Embassy, and the Khan Bank Foundation. |
