At the tail-end of New York Fashion Week, Angelito Collective was invited by the Museum of Modern Art to curate a special night celebrating their exhibition, Vital Signs: Artist and the Body. Pulled from MoMA’s own collection and beyond, much of the featured work was made by women or gender-expansive artists to explore “what it means to be an individual in a larger society.”
There’s no better bookend for such a topic than Angelito Collective, the multidisciplinary artists dedicated to “radical trans visibility.” For the event, they invited all their friends — z tye, Zora Jade Khiry and Fatima Jamal — to show art exploring themes of transformation and body. Angelito Collective’s 2023 film, 7 Deadly Sins, also screened,featuring an inaugural couture capsule, called NC7DS, from Sinn Apsara, who later debuted her follow-up, WRECK’D.
Below for PAPER, Angelito Collective members and their extended community reflect on the impact of taking over an institution like MoMA.
“I have personally admired this lineup of artists for years and have shared community with them all at various milestones in my life. Sharing my film and self-portrait work in tandem felt gratifying to my own journey within my body and practice. What I am the most grateful for is the pride in which our community embraced themselves as attendees of the space. All night long, the sentiment of the unprecedented number of Black trans folks in the institution rang with satisfaction through all my interactions with my siblings as we unfurled in the space, fully embodied.” – Ms. Kam, Angelito Collective
“I’m eternally grateful to have witnessed my trans sisters curate an artist night at the MoMA. Seeing trans art in this historic museum was monumental for me as a young trans person. It instilled a sense of hopefulness, worth and resilience my community has been fostering for many generations. Now, more than ever, our community must band together for survival. Through this event, Angelito Collective was able to curate a memorable night of trans excellence that reminded me of the space we deserve to take up in the world. Being trans is more than mere survival, but a chance to break out of the rigid structure of society and, through community, bask in true human love and connection.” – Cielo Clarke
“The visibility of trans experiences in spaces like museums have been so one-sided. The stories become so much more potent when it’s being told genuinely and not scripted by outsiders. As a continuation of NC7DS, WRECK’D, a six-piece collection work by the Angels, is a commentary on trans bodies having to constantly adapt to spaces they’re placed [in]. Whilst reimagining self discovery through deep exploration, Angelito emerges back from the sea as anamorphic beings mutated through marine textiles and what lies beneath the surface to further initiate our testament.” – Sinn Aspara, Angelito Collective
“Trans excellence has a ripple effect that causes movement in all areas where it is witnessed. Too often are we given a narrative of hopelessness as an inherent trait, as a default setting. When that mold is broken it creates a path that others can now walk on. It’s a healing experience. I heard one of my trans siblings call another a ‘trailblazer’ and I think that’s what we all are. We’re opening up the map of what’s possible. One day a younger trans person will think they can’t, and then find out about Angelito Collective and then they will.” – Zemi
“February 13, 2020, Angel and I threw our very first party for Valentine’s Day in Soho. It was our first event we did before the idea of Angelito was fully crystallized. Five years to that day, to host this night at MoMA was a monumental moment in our career and tribute to the passion and belief we had in bringing all our dreams to life. To experience this night truly felt surreal. I was deeply present in my body, feeling charged by the love of the hundreds of people that showed up for us. The journey of this work continues to give us life and purpose. In light of the current attack on trans rights and liberation, this night offered a lens of the deepest gratitude for the resilience and triumphs of our community’s past, present and future.” – Demíyah, Angelito Collective
“There’s something that feels like home when witnessing art that reflects trans experiences. It’s a feeling that showcases both everything about the trans experience that is a common thread, but also how unique each person’s individual trans identity is. It’s a feeling of being seen and seeing, which is so transformative in a world where trans people are constantly being told we don’t exist or are undeserving of respect. So witnessing trans experiences in art allows me to see the power within myself, and cherish my own trans experience and all of its nuances. The trans experience is all about recognizing one’s own power of self-actualization, and witnessing art that reflects that serves as a reminder of the beauty of it.” – Jordan Paige
Photos courtesy of Angelito Collective
