The Labyrinth 1.0

Overview

The Labyrinth 1.0 is a poetic film essay that cites writer and poet Brad Johnson’s poem “The Labyrinth,” published in the anthology Milking Black Bull (1995). Sourcing 16-mm surveillance footage, 16-mm 1970s tearoom porn, and structuralist film footage shot in North Philadelphia, the work visually explores the concept of the labyrinth space as a site for cruising and gesture-based desire. Commissioned by Visual AIDS in 2017 as part of ALTERNATE ENDINGS, RADICAL BEGINNINGS, a program of seven videos prioritizing Black narratives within the ongoing AIDS epidemic curated by Erin Christovale and Vivian Crockett.