RED LIGHT DISTRICT was a Godine Family Gallery installation simulating a European night lounge after hours.The vacancy of the club felt like it was 4am constantly, not an ounce of sunlight, music continuously playing muffled like you’re in the bathroom of a party. The audience is invited to walk around, observe the curated gallery wall, consisting of pieces to do with gender and sexuality.In the space, two back alcoves serve as a dual confessional, one religious with many candles and shrine of religious figures, you are encouraged to either feel uncomfortable by the looming presence or comforted by the father figure to pray.The other alcove something more physical, throughout the week artist Onyx Raia, comes in full black latex, faceless and invites you to one on one talk about your inner thoughts pulling it out of you with deep questions as they slowly massage your hands with lotion. The idea seeming uncomfortable, but when in an enclosed space with faceless figure, you begin to open up.
GALLERY ARTISTS: Iris Velagoshti, Johnathan Courchesne, Jenna Decampo, Sophia Gilbert, Rose FItzgerald, Femghoul, ViQuinn, James Nation, Kyra Stupik, Ethan Roy, and Onyx Raia.
The main event was the live show reception where a curated lineup of performance on gender and sexuality begins. Each performance serves as a narrative to the space, opening with a band, the singer Veronica herself sings Change by Deftones, an eerie sound almost as she is a ring leader of the space talking about taking away a persons wings and watching them try to fly. Second, a drag performance accompanied by projection, Mollie Guac shedding a layer of her skin on the stage to reveal the beauty of transformation. Third, a performance piece where the individual, River Heckman, flogs themselves with a flogger made of HRT needles showing their relationship of the painful history but also beautiful pleasure of being trans.Next, a latex masked male, Zac Rea, takes the stage with a slowed love song. Creating a contradicting sound and emotion to such a misunderstood dominant person. Finally, a classic chair dance of three women, Adine Raboy, Nandana Venkatesan, and Veronica, embodying the history and empowerment of women in the nightlife industry. The show closed out with a dark European DJ set by former Kittenluv, as a party that never ended. The following week the space had another show of multiple rock bands, taking the stage to excite and rejuvenate the seemingly dead club.
PRODUCTION TEAM
Producer and Creative Director: Veronica Labanca
Audio Engineer: Owen Greenfield
Lighting Design: Megan Ross and Kay Ehwa
Projection Engineer: Andrew Vincient
Stage Hands: Ash McMullen, Michael Curvin, Milena Mouseli
Poster Design: Emmy Kelley
Hosted by: Godine Gallery









