A dynamic 2-month workshop for LGBTQ senior Bronxites, 'The Lavender Lab,' empowers LGBTQ seniors to reclaim their often silenced voices through alternative audiovisual storytelling. Led by recognized local artists and using accessible tools, participants create vivid, self-produced pieces, expressing their personal stories, fostering creativity, and self-sufficiency.
In Josafat Concepción's cinematic work, they disrupt conventional genre norms by blending super-8, 16 mm, and VHS aesthetics through a queer/punk lens. Josafat explores themes of identity, self-discovery, and the interplay between individuality and community, while subverting Eurocentric morals and politics. While narrative structures often frame their films, their primary goal is to evoke emotions through sensory experiences, transcending traditional plot constraints. Many of their projects began with intrusive recurring images, often by-products of their formative audiovisual experiences, reflecting a rich and diverse cultural tapestry. Hollywood glamor, Spanish melodramas and telenovelas, Surrealism, Euro-Sleaze, Italian Giallo, Horror and Gore, ... Josafat's work is deeply connected to the religious imagery and folk traditions of their Canary Islands homeland, situated at the crossroads of historical trade routes between Europe, Africa, and the Americas. Their art is profoundly shaped by class struggle, anti-imperialism, and queer resistance, both on and off the screen. Through their work, they bridge personal and political, pushing boundaries and fostering meaningful dialogue. Their art aims to be a testament to the potential of audiovisual arts in empowering communities, questioning conventions, and honoring the extraordinary resilience and diversity within the human journey.
