How do bodies queer at the molecular level? How is this queering inextricably tied to industrial capitalism? And is there a way out of capitalist ruins, one that has been further exacerbated by the pandemic? Combining body and gender politics and environmental toxicity, this workshop centers on the concept of “open source estrogen,” the underlying premise that hormonal molecules are ubiquitously all around us, and available for us to hack, mutate, and become-with. Through this process of sociopolitical excavation, we can begin to “emancipate the hormone molecule,” unboxing its molecular mystique. The workshop will begin with a talk on hormonal histories and fictions and finish with a hands-on urine hormone extraction protocol as well as and a conversation with Fresh Fruit hosts Rox Anderson and Quinn Villagomez. The materials list can be found here for those who wish to follow along.
About the Participants
Mary Maggic is a non-binary artist working within the fuzzy intersections of transfeminist hacking, body/gender politics, and eco-alienations. Maggic’s most recent project, Open Source Estrogen, generates DIY protocols for the extraction and detection of hormones from bodies and environments, demonstrating their micro-performativity and potential for increased body autonomy. They hold a MS in Media Arts and Sciences from MIT Media Lab, and have exhibited internationally including at the Philadelphia Museum of Art (US), Science Gallery London (UK), Haus der Kulturen der Welt (Germany), Jeu de Paume (France), and Institute of Contemporary Arts London (UK). Maggic is a recipient of the Prix Ars Electronica Honorary Mention in Hybrid Arts (2017) and a 10-month Fulbright research award in Yogyakarta, Indonesia (2019).
Roxanne Anderson is an award-winning community organizer and activist who has been working in social service for more than 25 years. Currently, Anderson is a DJ and host for two local community radio stations (KRSM and KFAI), helps run the Minnesota Transgender Health Coalition, and is the co-founder and director of RARE Productions, a multimedia arts and entertainment company focusing on producing and promoting trans and queer artists of color.
Quinn Villagomez, aka “Shimmer,” is a transgender Latina woman whose pronouns are she/hers/female. Villagomez is a radio on-air personality, media personality, and emcee talent in the Twin Cities community. She co-hosts KFAI Radio’s Fresh Fruit/RARE Productions with Roxanne Anderson. She is the creator of two Twin Cities fashion shows: The Purple Ones and designICON. She is on the Board of Directors for the Minnesota Transgender Health Coalition (MTHC) and KFAI Radio’s Board of Directors.
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