Am Dienstag, den 16. Dezember, um 16:30 Uhr dürfen wir Marco Del Din (Doktorand an der Heidelberg University – Ca’ Foscari University of Venice) für einen Vortrag mit dem Titel „Monsters from Beyond: Playing with Gender and Identity at a Drag Show in Kyoto“ am Institut für Modernes Japan begrüßen. Der englischsprachige Vortrag wird im Raum 24.21.03.62 stattfinden. Modernes Japan-Studierende sind herzlich eingeladen, eine vorherige Anmeldung ist nicht nötig.

Abstract des Vortrags:

Usually simplistically described as ‘a man dressing and performing as a woman,’ the drag queen is actually an extremely complex figure, an in-between creature operating between genders, between the human and the non-human. For instance, the queens of a club in Kyoto draw inspiration from creatures and figures that go beyond not only the realm of the feminine, but also that of the human, thus becoming ambiguous entities beyond categories and the ordinary. By presenting the results of fieldwork conducted at the oldest and longest-running drag show in Japan, this talk illustrates how the queens of the club apparently disregard any connection between their gender and sexual identities and their art, emphasizing instead their monstrousness and thus crafting alternative models that challenge society-sanctioned identities and categories. Concurrently, this presentation examines how the queens turn the club they perform at into a liminal space where pre-established identities can be abandoned, and new possibilities imagined and explored. Thus, the show becomes more than pure entertainment, a co-creative event where new selves, relationships, and communities can emerge.

Zum Vortragenden:

Marco Del Din is a PhD student of the Double Doctoral Degree in Asian and Transcultural Studies at Heidelberg University and Ca’ Foscari University of Venice. He completed his BA in Japanese Language and Culture at Ca’ Foscari University, and his MA in Transcultural Studies at Heidelberg University (Joint Degree Program with Kyoto University). His PhD research investigates the perception and construction of gender identity and gender roles among the drag queens of the oldest and longest-running drag show in Japan. More broadly, his research interests reside at the intersection of Gender Studies, Queer Studies, and Japanese popular culture, with a special focus on contemporary performing arts.