I will be giving introductions to two screenings of the queer classic, The Watermelon Woman, on June 16th, 2026.

Screenings:

Film Casino, 18:30

Filmhaus Spittelberg, 20:30

The Watermelon Woman

Queer Frames

Cheryl Dunye | US 1996 | 90 mins | OV

Starring: Cheryl Dunye, Guinevere Turner, Valarie Walker

Theatrical release: June 16, 2026

With an introduction by Tayla Myree (historian, cultural worker and interdisciplinary artist) before the screening (in English).

English original version

Cheryl, young, Black, and lesbian, works at a video store in Philadelphia and supplements her income by renting wedding videos. While browsing old films from the 1930s and 40s, she comes across a supporting actress in a Southern melodrama, credited in the opening titles only as "The Watermelon Woman." Intrigued, Cheryl begins to research, but quickly discovers a shocking gap: there is hardly any documentation about Black actresses of this era. Motivated, she sets out to fill this gap in film history, but inaccessible archives, reluctant eyewitnesses, and an affair with an attractive colleague make her life difficult.

A Black lesbian woman makes a film about a Black lesbian woman who wants to make a film about a Black lesbian woman; sounds cerebral, but turns out to be a light-footed, humorous and self-reflective mockumentary about the invisibility of Black queer film history and the need to find oneself in it.

In cooperation with Queertactics

more info on the event here: https://www.filmcasino.at/film/the-watermelon-woman/

(DE)

The Watermelon Woman

Queer Frames

Cheryl Dunye | US 1996 | 90 min | OV

Mit: Cheryl Dunye, Guinevere Turner, Valarie Walker

Mit einer Einführung von Tayla Myree (Historiker*in, Kulturarbeiter*in und interdisziplinäre*r Künstler*in) vor dem Screening (in englischer Sprache).

englische Originalfassung

Cheryl, jung, Schwarz und lesbisch, arbeitet in einer Videothek in Philadelphia und verdient sich mit Hochzeitsvideos Geld dazu. Beim Sichten alter Filme aus den 30ern und 40ern stößt sie in einem Südstaatenmelodram auf eine Nebendarstellerin, die im Vorspann nur als „The Watermelon Woman“ benannt wird. Fasziniert beginnt Cheryl zu recherchieren, stößt jedoch schnell auf eine erschreckende Leerstelle: Über schwarze Schauspielerinnen dieser Zeit ist kaum etwas dokumentiert. Motiviert macht sie sich daran, diese Lücke der Filmgeschichtsschreibung zu schließen, doch unzugängliche Archive, verschlossene Zeitzeug*innen und die Affäre mit einer attraktiven Kollegin machen ihr das Leben schwer.

Eine schwarze, lesbische Frau macht einen Film über eine schwarze, lesbische Frau, die einen Film über eine schwarze, lesbische Frau drehen will; klingt verkopft, entpuppt sich aber als leichtfüßige, humorvolle und selbstreflexive Mockumentary über die Unsichtbarkeit schwarzer, queerer Filmgeschichte und das Bedürfnis, sich darin wiederzufinden.

In Kooperation mit Queertactics

I will be giving a keynote input as for the third edition of Slayground. More information on the event below.

During Pride Month, the program focuses on a pinkwashing-critical approach to outreach and examines how queerness is appropriated by institutions – as well as possibilities for collective self-empowerment. The program centers on the exchange of practices and reflection for outreach workers, with the aim of making societal contradictions visible and strengthening solidarity.

Drawing on methods from the Zoukak Theatre Company, allyship and collaborative approaches are explored. Inspired by Leslie Feinberg, queerness is considered in the context of social and economic inequalities. “Lavender & Bread” shifts the focus from symbolic visibility to material questions of access, care, and resources.

Artistic and activist positions, as well as the food installation Craving Care , invite critical reflection on strategies of visibility, desire, and resistance.

The program combines different perspectives and formats, exchange with young and adult experts, discourse and input from artists and people from the field.

The event concludes with a joint food installation : the food becomes part of the educational format, making participation, exchange and shared responsibility tangible.

With SLAYGROUND we are developing our existing JOUR FIXE ART EDUCATION into a dialogical laboratory for critical art education and participation.

At SLAYGROUND we understand slay as an attitude: as an invitation to question dominant narratives, shift perspectives and try out new forms of communication together.

The term SLAY originates from Black queer ballroom and drag culture and was later adopted by Latinx queer communities. As an empowering expression of visibility, self-empowerment, and resistance, the term has since become part of youth slang and pop culture.

SLAYGROUND relies on a playful, collaborative practice that combines learning and unlearning, creating space for aesthetic, critical, and dialogical processes. The format is curated in collaboration with young and adult participants and aims to specifically strengthen the dialogue between young and adult actors in educational work, providing space for exchange, dialogue, and dissent.

—

(DE)

Im Pride Month fokussiert das Programm eine pinkwashing-kritische Vermittlungspraxis und untersucht, wie Queerness von Institutionen vereinnahmt wird – sowie Möglichkeiten kollektiver Selbstermächtigung. Im Zentrum stehen Praxisaustausch und Reflexion für Vermittler*innen, mit dem Ziel, gesellschaftliche Widersprüche sichtbar zu machen und solidarisches Handeln zu stärken.

Ausgehend von Methoden der Zoukak Theatre Company werden Allyship und kollaborative Ansätze erprobt. Inspiriert von Leslie Feinberg wird Queerness im Zusammenhang mit sozialen und ökonomischen Ungleichheiten gedacht. „Lavender & Bread“ verschiebt den Fokus von symbolischer Sichtbarkeit hin zu materiellen Fragen von Zugang, Fürsorge und Ressourcen.

Künstlerische und aktivistische Positionen sowie die Food-Installation Craving Care laden dazu ein, Strategien von Sichtbarkeit, Begehren und Widerstand kritisch zu reflektieren.

Das Programm verbindet unterschiedliche Perspektiven und Formate, Austausch mit jungen und erwachsenen Expert*innen, Diskurs und Inputs von Künstler*innen und Menschen aus der Praxis.

Den Abschluss bildet eine gemeinsame Food-Installation: Das Essen wird Teil des Vermittlungsformats und macht Beteiligung, Austausch und geteilte Verantwortung sinnlich erfahrbar.

Mit SLAYGROUND entwickeln wir unseren bisherigen JOUR FIXE KUNSTVERMITTLUNG weiter, hin zu einem dialogischen Labor für kritische Kunstvermittlung und Partizipation.

In SLAYGROUND verstehen wir slay als Haltung: als Einladung, dominante Narrative zu hinterfragen, Perspektiven zu verschieben und neue Formen von Vermittlung gemeinsam auszuprobieren.

Der Begriff SLAY stammt aus der Schwarzen queeren Ballroom- und Drag-Kultur und wurde später in Latinx queeren Communities weitergetragen. Als empowernder Ausdruck für Sichtbarkeit, Selbstermächtigung und Widerständigkeit hat sich der Begriff von dort aus in Jugendsprache und Popkultur eingeschrieben.

SLAYGROUND setzt auf eine spielerische, gemeinsame Praxis, die Lernen und Entlernen miteinander verbindet und Raum für ästhetische, machtkritische und dialogische Prozesse schafft. Das Format ist kuratierend mit jungen und erwachsenen Beteiligten entwickelt und möchte den Dialog zwischen jungen und erwachsenen Akteur*innen in der Vermittlungsarbeit gezielt stärken, mit Raum für Austausch, Dialog und Dissens.

Collaboration with the Mostothek

Storytelling Café and Live Music/DJ

Don’t Talk with Your Mouth Full!

Tue, June 9, 2026, 5:00 PM

The storytelling café Don’t Talk with Your Mouth Full! is part of the Academy of Unlearning mentoring program organized by kulturen in Bewegung. Here, the mouth serves as a central element of taste, but also as a vessel for memories of language, belonging, and enjoyment.

Mireille Ndo moderates and creates a shared space for BIPoC everyday and family stories. A space for laughter, exchanging recipes, and listening. The storytelling café explores the following questions: What foods are reserved for special occasions? Who cooks, and in what language? Is there a dish you miss, and if so, why? Participants are warmly invited to bring a dish that is meaningful to them and share it with others. Beverages (juice creations from orchards, pear and apple wines, or cider) can be purchased on-site at reasonable prices.

The Storytelling Café is a space for BIPOC. Afterward, we cordially invite everyone interested to join us for a wrap-up with live music.

Duration of the storytelling café: approx. 90 minutes

Registration for the storytelling café is required; number of participants is limited.

5:00 PM: Storytelling Café

7:00 PM: Sunset Vibes with MZTAY

Location:

Volkskundemuseum Wien

Otto Wagner Areal, Pavilion 1

Baumgartner Höhe 1, 1140 Vienna

more info on the event: https://www.volkskundemuseum.at/erzaehlcafe_und_livemusik_2026-06-09

—

(DE)

Kooperation mit der Mostothek

Erzählcafé und Livemusik/DJ

Mit vollem Mund spricht man nicht!

Di, 09.06.2026, 17:00

Das Erzählcafé Mit vollem Mund spricht man nicht! findet im Rahmen des Mentoring-Programms Academy of Unlearning von kulturen in Bewegung statt. Der Mund dient hierbei als zentrales Element des Schmeckens, aber auch als Träger der Erinnerung über Sprache, Zugehörigkeit und Genuss.

Mireille Ndo moderiert und kreiert einen gemeinsamen Raum für BIPoC Alltags- und Familiengeschichte. Einen Raum zum Lachen, Rezepte austauschen und des Zuhörens. Das Erzählcafé beschäftigt sich mit folgenden Fragen: Welches Essen gibt es nur zu besonderen Anlässen? Wer kocht und in welcher Sprache? Wird ein Gericht vermisst und falls ja, warum? Die Teilnehmenden sind herzlich dazu eingeladen, ein für sie bedeutsames Gericht mitzubringen und mit den Anderen zu teilen. Getränke (Saftkreationen von Streuobstwiesen, Birnen- und Apfelweine bzw. Cider) können vor Ort zu günstigen Preisen erworben werden.

Das Erzählcafé ist ein Raum für BIPOC. Im Anschluss laden wir alle Interessierte herzlich zu einem gemeinsamen Ausklang mit Live-Musik ein.

Dauer des Erzählcafés: ca 90 Minuten

Anmeldung für das Erzählcafé erforderlich, Teilnehmer:innenzahl beschränkt.

17h: Erzählcafé

19h: Sunset Vibes with MZTAY

Ort:

Volkskundemuseum Wien

Otto Wagner Areal, Pavillon 1

Baumgartner Höhe 1, 1140 Wien

Bestand is back at Pavillon 1 at Otto Wagner Areal (OWA) with the third edition of 𝕚𝕟𝕗𝕣𝕒:

𝕚𝕟𝕗𝕣𝕒: 𝕦𝕡/𝕠𝕣 draws upon the first two 𝕚𝕟𝕗𝕣𝕒: events from last year and extends the process towards an exploration of what drives us beyond foundational artistic, social, and cultural 𝕚𝕟𝕗𝕣𝕒:structures. Guided by liberation and justice, 𝕚𝕟𝕗𝕣𝕒: 𝕦𝕡/𝕠𝕣 invites you to join a flow of common sounds, words and motions. From the bottom up (– or where else?). From deep down to the surface. From silence to expression to action. 𝕚𝕟𝕗𝕣𝕒: 𝕦𝕡/𝕠𝕣 carries the potential for movement, experimentation, change and dedication.

The event begins with a site-specific workshop on the poetics of memory and expression in the field of the Steinhofgründe (all mediums are welcome), followed by our music programme. The programme presents live music performances and DJ sets ranging from community-centred and freestyle-inspired formats to more experimental, organic grooves and bouncy basslines. A blend of beats, rhythms, sounds, movements and speech transcending binary limitations.

The event is accompanied by delicious food prepared by compot. Angie and Malik play with seasonal, fermented, and foraged ingredients to create dishes inspired by their personal food memories.

Look forward to:

Tayla Myree (workshop)

Lord Tusk (live)

:ya_hurrd? (live session)

Mi-el (dj)

Powder (dj)

Gawdesque (dj)

Sucre Sucre (dj)

Verschrin (dj)

Artwork by @the.mosiba

We are grateful for all the participating artists and the whole 𝕚𝕟𝕗𝕣𝕒: team for once more making a joint effort! The event is supported with funding from the City of Vienna.

_______________

Tickets

Online (limited): 12€

Regular: 15€

Bestand Supporter Ticket: 20€ (to help us maintain our work)

Participation in the workshop is free of charge.

There is limited capacity at the venue, so we advise you to purchase tickets online to ensure entry. There will be a limited number of tickets available at the door.

Please contact us at kontakt@bestand.org for reduced-price (5-10€) community tickets.

_________________

06/06/2026

~ 4pm

Otto Wagner Areal

Pavillion 1, Vienna

learn more about the event here: https://ra.co/events/2448623

Château Rouge, the independent art and cultural space in Meidling, presents a new series of curated events across two weekends. Bringing together concerts, DJ sets, installations, and performances, the programme creates a space for contemporary artistic practices, exchange, and encounter. Each edition invites a guest from the district to present their work alongside local and international artistic positions.

For this first edition, we welcome Meidling-based artist Till Ayasse, whose works will be on view from 5–14 June 2026. Live Tattoo Sessions: Ayasse will also bring his tattoo chair and a selection of small-scale motifs in new designs. Tattoos will be available at special Château Rouge prices. Feel free to get in touch to reserve a spot or learn more.

For the opening on 5 June, we are pleased to welcome Javier Areal Vélez for a live concert, followed by a DJ set by MZTAY (Tayla Myree).

For the second weekend, we look forward to a concert by Lukas König on 12 June with a DJ set by Lucy Bakanl and a Château Rouge Bar Night for the finissage on 13 June.

5 June 2026

18:30 — Exhibition opening: Till Ayasse

20:30 — Concert by Javier Areal Vélez

DJ set by MZTAY (Tayla Myree)

Learn more about the event here:

https://www.chateaurouge.at/events/event/chateau-rouge-presents-till-ayasse-javier-areal-velez-tayla-myree-lukas-koenig-18-30-05-12-13-06-2026/

I will be hosting another evening of Karawoke at Dschungel Wien. This evening is about building community, joy, and making connections with other activists and community organizers through the love of Karaoke. It’s a great time to come to unwind, meet new people, and take the stage to sing your heart out! Come by and enjoy the evening. Learn more about the event here.

Critical Fabulation and Anonymity in the Weltmuseum Wien’s Photography Collection

Workshop and Showcase of Research Results

Time: 17 April 2026, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Place: WMW Forum, Weltmuseum Wien, Heldenplatz, 1010 Wien

I will be participating as an invited expert in collaboration with the Gewächaus Network to give a presentation in relation to my recent film project letters to those who were once here (2026). Learn more about the event below.

—

Registration to the event is required. Please register through this link.

Full program can be found here.

The event takes place as part of the Critical Fabulation and Anonymity course – a collaboration project between CEU & Weltmuseum Wien organized by:

- Hanin Hannouch, Curator for Analog and Digital Media (Photography, Film, and Sound Collections), Weltmuseum Wien (Hanin.Hannouch@weltmuseumwien.at)

- Klára Trencsényi, documentary filmmaker, Visiting Professor of Practice CEU, VSP (TrencsenyiK@ceu.edu)

More about the event:

The label ‘Photographer Unknown’ is a ubiquitous fixture of the museum experience. To the visitor, it may provoke a sense of mystery, a pang of disappointment, or perhaps simple indifference. Yet, within photography collections, the unknown in the record is not a mere accident of history – it is a reflection of power.

Institutional legacies are rarely as exhaustive as their encyclopedic scope suggests. Often, a collection is defined as much by who it excludes as by what it contains. Of the Weltmuseum Wien’s vast photography collection, approximately 75,000 photographs are tagged as the work of an ‘unknown photographer’. This anonymity does more than hide a name. It obscures the context of the image, the relationship between the lens and the subject, and the museum’s original motivations for the acquisition.

In a unique collaboration between the Central European University (CEU) and the Weltmuseum Wien, students have spent months interrogating these ‘impossible stories’. Guided by Hanin Hannouch (WMW) and Klára Trencsényi (CEU), the seminar utilized Saidiya Hartman’s method of critical fabulation – using speculative narration and storytelling to rebalance historical silences while simultaneously acknowledging the impossibility of ever truly reclaiming what has been lost.

We invite the public to a workshop and showcase that serves as both a conclusion to this research and an expansion of the conversation. Students will present their findings through a diverse array of innovative audio-visual formats, including: Zines and photo albums, computer games, video essays, digital installations, etc.

This event sets student research in direct dialogue with invited artists and visual practitioners. By bridging the gap between institutional critique and creative practice, the workshop creates a space for knowledge transfer between established experts and the next generation of researchers.

Join us to explore the vibrant, speculative futures emerging out of anonymity. Registration through this link is required.

Student Projects:

- Chinesischer Tempel, Singapore (zine, 24 pages) by Tasha Stein.

- Those Who Dream, See the Hidden History (video, 08:50) by Elene Kajaia.

- Aj xíinbal (video game, est. playtime 10 min) by Marlene Galaz & Klara Maass.

- Silvio (video, 04:30) by Cemre Altin.

- The Book of Oil: A Traveller's Guide (textile zine, 15 pages) by Giunel Mamedova & Astghik Aslanyan.

- Disrupting Certainty: Labels of the Weltmuseum Wien (website/multimedia) by Eva Kizer & Sarah Kovacic.

- Next stop: Vienna (zine, 27 pages) by Lili Katai.

- The Gadje Curse (video, 07:30) by Anca Birnoiu.

- ZINE by Anna Lavalley.

- Unfabulating Tsovatush (website/multimedia, 12 webpages) by Mariam Patsatsia.

Invited experts:

- Gewächshaus Network: Melanie Sien Min Lyn, Mara Chavez, Tayla Myree, Maeva Ranaivojaona.

- Dino Rekanović, President of Rotlicht Festival for Analog Photography, International Curator, Gallerist and Photographic Alchemist.

- Robert Vanis, Aritst and Photographer, exploring representation and accessibility as well as materiality and transience of knowledge, co-founder of MATERIAL MATTERS.

For organizational questions, please feel free to reach out to golubeva_sasha@student.ceu.edu.

In this immersive workshop, facilitated by multi-disciplinary artist and historian Tayla Myree, we will explore how the politics of memory and the visionary lens of Afrofuturism can guide us toward building a world that is truly anti-colonial, free from exploitation, rooted in love, and fundamentally anti-racist.

What we'll explore together:

Memory: How our collective histories—both remembered and suppressed—hold the keys to understanding our present conditions and imagining new possibilities
Afrofuturism as methodology: Learning to use this powerful framework that centers Blackness, diasporic experiences, and speculative imagination as tools for liberation
Imaginative strategies: Developing concrete practices that help us move beyond current constraints and envision futures that honor our humanity, dignity, and interconnectedness
Collective dreaming: Creating shared visions that challenge colonial paradigms and build worlds where love, justice, and mutual care are the organizing principles

Curious about afrofuturism as a living, breathing practice beyond theory? Seeking community and tools to imagine and co-create more just futures? Then this workshop is for you. 

About your facilitator: Tayla Myree (they/she) is a multi-disciplinary artist, poet, and historian based in Vienna, Austria. With a Master's Degree in Comparative History from Central European University and current work at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna, Tayla brings deep expertise in the politics of memory and identity, particularly as they relate to Blackness and other marginalized experiences. Their work spans film, photography, prose, and sound, creating spaces where memory becomes a site of resistance and imagination becomes a path to liberation.

Where? Planet 10 - Pernerstorfergasse 12, 1100 Wien

When? Thursday, April 9th from 6 - 8 PM

Register: https://cloud.oeh.univie.ac.at/apps/forms/s/rCCnwnFreGsiT85n6Jaj24mD?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAdGRleAQ7BB9leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA8xMjQwMjQ1NzQyODc0MTQAAacre2gOD72HuXmEyrO803Nwen4KEmXJMVsjOOaM6CJx15hwAtSJx7sQkmZj7A_aem_8n_5Gm2m3KrLAMYg3kgYmw