A glimpse at Luminato: Joni Mitchell and more

'I think everything is queer' says festival director

Luminato, Toronto’s annual arts and culture smorgasbord, has lots for the queers.

“I think everything [at the festival] is sort of queer,” says Luminato’s artistic director, Jörn Weisbrodt. “I mean, I think everything is a little different and off and new and exciting. And to me it is more about experience art than understanding.”

That said, of particular note to queer audiences is the Joni Mitchell tribute. Rufus Wainwright, Weisbrodt’s husband, is among the artists involved in the event.

There is also the Viktor & Rolf Dolls exhibit, which features miniature dolls dressed in haute couture outfits from the duo’s fashion house.

And there is The Life and Death of Marina Abramovic, directed by Robert Wilson and featuring Abramovic as herself and her mother.

Sounds queer enough to us.

Luminato runs Friday, June 14 to Sunday, June 23.

Below is an Xtra interview with Weisbrodt and Wainwright.

On occasion, the number of editors and other staff who contribute to a story gets a little unwieldy to give a byline to everyone. That’s when we use “Xtra Staff” in place of the usual contributor info. If you would like more information on who contributed to a particular story, please contact us here.

Read More About:
Music, Video, Culture, News, Toronto, Arts, Canada

Keep Reading

A self portrait and collage by revolutionary queer photographer Claude Cahun

The queer photographer who fought fascism

Claude Cahun’s gender-bending self portraits were ahead of their time—and nearly erased from art history
Actors Ian McKellen and James Laurenson in 'Edward II', which featured the first gay kiss on British television

The history of the first gay kiss on British TV

In 1970, Sir Ian McKellen and James Laurenson made history with a kiss in a filmed production of “Edward II”
Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission Brendan Carr in front of the FCC logo

FCC explores adding warning labels for trans content on TV

The U.S. government agency is taking comments on whether television ratings should be updated to signal “controversial gender identity issues”
On the left, Jason Collins on the cover of Sports Illustrated coming out as gay. On the right, a photo of Collins playing for the Brooklyn Nets.

Remembering Jason Collins, the gay NBA player who changed the game

The late trailblazer made history when he came out in 2013
Advertisement