Young Joon Kwak & Mutant Salon

LACE's Summer Residency presents Cavernous by artist Young Joon Kwak and Mutant Salon, a collective of queer-trans-femme-POC artists and performers and a platform for collaborations. Cavernous is a kaleidoscopic environment that queers the last bastion of manhood in the domestic space- the man-cave. Cavernous fractures the patriarchal myth of male privilege, and provides an access point for an ongoing critical deconstruction of how we view our bodies, and reimagines alternative forms of existence and desire.

Welcoming viewers at the entrance of the Cavernous, Young Joon Kwak presents new sculptures and a living queer archive that reclaims erased narratives and traces a lineage of radical present-future queer arts community in Los Angeles. Kwak’s archive features a selection of unclassified objects by unknown artists from the ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives, as well as custom wigs by stylists from historic Hollywood retailers displayed on ceramic wig stands designed by Kwak as a tribute to the artistry of these under-recognized wig stylists. The archive also includes a screening of video works and documentation by historically significant radical local performance artists, connecting the community of Mutant Salon with LACE’s 40 year history of supporting queer and feminist performance art.

Deeper in Cavernous, Mutant Salon creates a temporary autonomous zone that fosters community-building and celebrates the bonds of critical resistance and togetherness in the act of self-care. Mutant Salon features sculptures, videos, interactive installations, lounging spaces, a zine library, a spring, and other surprises, which will transform throughout the duration of the exhibition. The opening of Cavernous will feature several spectacular performances by members of Mutant Salon.