Chommie – The Digital Closet

‘Chommie - The Digital Closet’’ is a collaboration between Anna Ehrenstein and Johannesburg-based queer artists Brian Montshiwa and Mahube Diseko. The exhibition explores queer representation in the media and the power of algorithms through video, sculptures, and installations. With humor and satire, the work critiques the commercialization of queerness in mainstream media and platform capitalism, while examining how digital algorithms influence the perception of LGBTQIA+ identities.

The exhibition features a three-channel video installation and sculptures that blur the line between digital and physical realities. Ehrenstein and her collaborators use artificial intelligence to create works that reflect on the visibility of LGBTQIA+ communities in the digital age. By addressing progressive LGBTQIA+ laws in countries like South Africa and beyond alongside the ongoing discrimination faced by queer individuals, ‘Chommie’ challenges the boundaries of identity and media representation.

Rather than focusing on victimhood, ‘Chommie – The Digital Closet’ uses a playful visual language to ignite conversations about the potential for change. It invites viewers to critically reflect on the absurdities of existing power structures and to envision alternative futures where identities are not constrained by commercialization or technological determinism.