Die Kränken: Sprayed with Tears

New exhibition opening Saturday, February 11, 2017 at ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives at the USC Libraries

February 11 – April 8, 2017

ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives at the USC Libraries
909 West Adams Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90007

Opening reception: Saturday, February 11, 2017, 6-9pm

Die Kränken is a group of artists formed in 2015 in response to the extensive holdings on gay motorcycle clubs in Southern California housed at ONE Archives. Taking its inspiration from these outlaw clubs, die Kränken’s projects examine the significance and complicated history of these motorcycle groups through a variety of multimedia and performative strategies. Frustrated by gay assimilationist aspirations, die Kränken strives for new strategies of queer radicality. The group’s name, translating to “the sick” in German, references both the historical pathologization of homosexuality and the pandemic of a generation of gay men, while nodding to the Blue Max, a local motorcycle club founded in 1968 that fetishized Prussian military uniforms and culture. Die Kränken sees a link between these clubs and the contemporary alienation felt in response to culture at large.

Die Kränken: Sprayed with Tears presents new work by the group featuring collaborations by artists Jonesy and Jaime C. Knight with contributions by Luke Munson, Matthew McGarvey, James Krewson, Kelly Marie Martin, Jacob Greenberg, Robert Acklen, Tim Jackson, Steven Rimlinger, James Caperton, Lindsey Taylor, and Stephen Fischman.

Die Kränken: Sprayed with Tears is organized by David Evans Frantz, curator at ONE Archives at the USC Libraries. Support is provided by the One Institute, Inc.