Londoners, mark your calendars: this Friday, February 27th, the one and only Honey Dijon is taking over the Tate Modern! And she’s doing so by curating a programme of activities that includes a zine-making workshop, a series of talks, guided tours from a queer perspective, a meditative experience, and DJ sets by artists like Serenda, Ella Knight, and Keyrah. So, if you already had plans, call and postpone them because, let’s be honest, these are looking way better.
Hailing from the Chicago house scene, Honey Dijon has become a household name in the past two decades that currently tours the world multiple times a year, from clubs to festivals to fashion shows. She’s a DJ, a producer, a collector, a fashion icon, and an LGBTQ+ activist. She’s worked with some of your favourite stars, including Beyoncé, Madonna, and Lady Gaga, has headlined major events in Ibiza, London, Barcelona, NYC or Melbourne, and even started her own clothing brand, Honey Fucking Dijon. And now, she can also say she’s a curator and programmer thanks to Tate Modern Lates.
As the museum puts it, Tate Modern Lates “hands the keys to one of the most vital forces in global club culture.” Honey Dijon uses the opportunity to celebrate UK’s LGBTQ+ History Month by transforming the contemporary art institution into a stage celebrating radical queer culture. Because, who said a museum couldn’t spark the same excitement a dance floor does?
The programme will start at 6 pm with different workshops: on one hand, I Think Therefore I Can Be Free, in partnership with Sweet-thang zine, where you’ll be making your own DIY publication; on the other hand, Gathering Diaspora, with Khadijatou Doyneh, a meditative experience where you’ll turn sound into language. Or Tate Draws, where the museum offers tools for you to bring a digital illustration to life.
Honey Dijon herself will be having a candid conversation with writer and curator Charlie Porter at 7:30 pm, where they’ll discuss everything from her decades-spanning career to her life experiences, reflections, and more. Around that time, there’ll also be a series of LGBTQ+ tours at Tate Modern, which explore the institution’s collection through the lens of gender identity and discover queer stories.
Last but not least, three DJs will be playing sets from 6 pm to 9.30 pm in different spaces: Keyrah will be taking over the South Tanks, Serenda will play at the Terrace Bar in the Blavatnik Building, and Ella Knight will be behind the decks at the Corner Bar in the Natalie Bell Building.