Pioneers Go East Collective
Pioneers Go East Collective is a radical queer laboratory collective of performing and visual artists dedicated to time-based and media art to empower the LGBTQ+ experience. Since 2012 based in New York City, we create works of high artistic merit, speak out about social issues and build a platform to positively impact the LGBTQ+ community. Founded/ led by Gian Marco Riccardo Lo Forte, Daniel Diaz, and Philip Treviño, in collaboration with Joey Kipp, ALEXA Grae and syd Island, the collective portrays same-gender-loving experiences, memory, and marginalization that resonate with contemporary lives. Pioneers Go East Collective combines stories of vulnerability and courage with popular culture to facilitate communal meaning and advocate for cultural integrity. For a full bio visit their website.
Image: (l to r) ALEXA Grae, Symara Sarai, Marco Riccardo Lo Forte, Philip Treviño
Artworks
(Concept: Gian Marco Riccardo Lo Forte, Mark Tambella, Philip Treviño)
This project is a low carbon footprint installation inspired by Françoise d’Eaubonne’s writings on radical pacifism, A Sea In-MOTION envisions an Eco-Feminist Futurity. This sculpture responds to d’Eaubonne’s insights about the patriarchal and capitalist systems that fuel environmental destruction through exploitative industrial resource consumption.
Composed of 10 bamboo frames, each about 10 feet long and 40 inches tall tapering down to 20 inches, the installation features open fences radiating from a central space. By embracing natural fibers and bamboo, it underscores the strength of regenerative materials but also inspires hope for a sustainable future. This circular design, along with the elongated pathways created by the fences, invites viewers to experience the surrounding nature from multiple perspectives, encouraging a communal enjoyment of the space. The aim is to foster a non-hierarchical environment where people can come together to connect with nature and the clusters of tall grasses encircling the installation.
Developed by the Radical Queer artists’ collective, Pioneers Go East Collective, the project is deeply influenced by Françoise d’Eaubonne’s Eco-Feminist insights and Guattari’s LGBTQ+ theories. The installation is conceived by Gian Marco Riccardo Lo Forte (visual installation/ archival research/ filmmaker), Mark Tambella (visual installation/fabrication), and Philip Treviño (visual installation).
Part of a diptych that integrates performance art and video, this visual installation reflects on the socio-economic landscape while advocating for a sustainable future. It symbolizes the fluidity of community identity, celebrating diversity and ecological justice, much like the ever-changing sea.
Listen on Spotify. Music composed/performed by ALEXA Grae with lyrics by Gian Marco Riccardo Lo Forte.