Black Carnation Part Three
by Konstantin Zhukov
This project can be seen this year at Circulation(s), which takes place from March 21 to May 17 in Paris, France.
The full program is available here.
“Black Carnation Part Three is a reflection on my research into the poorly-documented queer histories of my home country Latvia. It combines my readings, geographical mapping and conversations on queer experiences throughout the Soviet and early post- Soviet periods.
The title of the project is a reference to the term used to refer to gay men in the Latvian gossip press before the Soviet occupation. With the censorship-heavy Soviet period being the biggest blindspot in queer history of the region, the term was subsequently lost and we don’t have any information of its origins or day-to-day use.
Consequently, I am dealing with histories that were often unwritten, forgotten or bluntly censored, and the relationships that often lasted no longer than an orgasm on a beach or a public bathroom. The ideas of transience and impermanence are reflected in the chosen materials – yellowing newsprint, and inevitably fading thermal prints on the receipt paper used to print train tickets.
Gay men of today, whose identities are often hidden upon their request, are captured at the historic cruising beach a short train ride away from Riga. Thus, the photo series bridges history and the present, older and younger generations, and celebrates community building in a country often grappling with its “traditional values”.”
