HCCC is pleased to present Queer(ing) the Wheel, an original performance showcase organized by current resident artist Antonius-Tin Bui and interdisciplinary artist Tonya Huynh.
This site-specific performance pays homage to the late Playhouse Theater (housed in the building next door to HCCC), one of the largest theaters-in-the-round in the nation in the early 1950s. On February 21st, the 68th anniversary of the Playhouse’s opening night, Bui and Huynh will transform HCCC’s parking lot into a temporary space in which audience members and performers will interact through “vehicles-in-the-round,” arranged to explore the personal narratives of each artist.
For many queer artists, especially in Houston, the car is a living archive of existence, representing a place of safety and refuge, a place to change, to hook-up, to cruise, to transition, to escape, to curate experiences, and to be authentic. By creating a vehicular theater-in-the-round, Bui and Huynh invite the audience to engage in the experiences of seven artists, while referencing the intimate style of the pioneering Playhouse Theater, which successfully broke down barriers between actors and audiences.
The performance will feature performances by Antonius Bui (performance and craft), Emilý Æyer (sound and performance), S Rodriguez (sound and interactive performance, queer sci-fi literature), Devin Kenny (multidisciplinary sculpture), Junior Fernandez (photography), Post Modern Sleaze (performance), and Duke Diesel (performance).
The event falls on the opening night of Experimental Action (ExA), Houston’s biennial international performance art festival, in which Bui will also perform. Experimental Action is a three-day festival that facilitates and shines a spotlight on experimental performance, showcasing both local and international artists and exposing Houston audiences to innovative performance art. ExA will take place February 21-23.
PARKING
Please note the HCCC parking lot will be roped off for this event. Visitors are welcome to find street parking or park at Lawndale Art Center’s lot across the street.
About Antonius-Tin Bui
Antonius-Tin Bui (they/them) proudly identifies as a queer, gender-nonbinary, Vietnamese-American artist. They are the child of Paul and Van Bui, two Vietnamese refugees who sacrificed everything to provide a future for their four kids and extended family. Born and raised in Bronx, NY, Antonius eventually moved to Houston before pursuing a BFA at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MIC/A).
Since graduating in 2016, Bui has been fortunate to receive fellowships from the Vermont Studio Center, Kala Art Institute, Tulsa Artists Fellowship, and Halcyon Arts Lab. Thanks to these opportunities, they have greatly expanded their practice beyond just hand-cut paper techniques. They are currently interested in complicating Vietnamese history and queerness through performance, textiles, and photography. Bui has exhibited at various institutional, private, public, and underground venues, including the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Hillyer Art Space, Lawndale Art Center, Living Arts, 108 Contemporary, Artscape, and the Philbrook Museum. To learn more, visit antoniusbui.com/about/.