KINK OUT: EPHEMERA
Closing Celebration

Kink Out is a bi-coastal collective that unites people of diverse identities with lived experience in BDSM culture through art, activism, community organizing, and conversation. With KINK OUT: EPHEMERA, a month-long residency, the collective transforms MOCA’s WAREHOUSE into an active archive for those who live and love differently. Drawing on physical and oral histories the residency brings together The Carter /Johnson Library and Collection, a compilation of printed material which celebrates sexuality from the 1700’s to the present day, and a regular schedule of performances, panels, workshops, and community events, to explore the intersection between contemporary art, activism, and leather, kink, BDSM, and sex worker communities.

Join us to celebrate the closing of the month-long residency, KINK OUT: EPHEMERA, with an afternoon of history, engagement, music, and performances fueled with food and drinks. The day focuses on an intergenerational panel adressing the history of sex work and leather activism and its relationship with contemporary art and culture. The panel is moderated by Chanelle Gallant and features Viola Johnson,Valeria Atreides, Jill Carter, Domino Presley, and Empress Wu. Music will be provided by DJ Star and EthicalDrvgs with live performances by the all Trans cabaret, BABiEDOllZ.

KINK OUT: EPHEMERA is co-organized with kd diamond and Daphne aka EthicalDrvgs in collaboration with The Carter/Johnson Library and Collection.
KINK OUT: EPHEMERA contains sexually explicit content. Parents should use discretion.

An enemy of stagnation, Valeria Atreides draws from multitudes of experience. Equal appreciation of life’s peaks and troughs. Beauty made askew. Drifting like fluid between the realms of sex work, music, tech, and fashion. No industry or bubble can keep her in its clutches.

BABiEDOllZ Strip Cabaret is an all Trans inclusive cabaret located in the heart of Hollywood at the North End bar, These events occur every second Thursday. The event was founded by burlesque performer Alii in 2018 and alongside her is her trans-daughter, Vire. Babiedollz creates a safe space for entertainers to showcase their talents and their artistic abilities to the audience.

Empress Wu (all pronouns) is a dominatrix and cultural activist practicing in NYC and beyond. Their work explores the performance of intimacy, through digital landscapes, queer SM, sexual labor, ancestral ritual, conflict, and more. Her work in all its forms have been seen at MoMA PS1, Performa Biennial, Brown University, and probably a dungeon near you. She lives digitally at empresswu.net.

Jill Carter, International Ms Leather 1996, has been active in the leather lifestyle for over 40 years. In 1996, she became the 10th International Ms Leather and the first African American woman to win the title. Her platform was "Saving our Leather History". Everywhere she traveled communities donated money and memorabilia to the Archives. Her "Just Give Me One Dollar" speeches around the country raised awareness and funds for the young organization. At International Mr Leather, the speech raised enough money to pay the deposit for the building that now houses the Leather Archives and Museum.

She has been an officer or founding member of various organizations across the United States, and a speaker or workshop presenter for leather organizations and colleges. Her book, So You Wanna Be a Title Holder is considered a contestant *must read*. Jill is the recipient of the Pantheon of Leather Woman of the Year Award 1998 and 2001; Reader's Choice Woman of the Year 1998; one-third of the Couple of the Year Award; The National Leather Association International Order of Merit and Lifetime Achievement Awards; the Emerald Award from the state of Washington and numerous other awards. Jill was the driving force behind the formation and development of the Ms. and Mr. World Leather Event. She is proud to be one of the seven original ONYX Pearls, and has served as president of ONYX Pearls Mid-Atlantic.

Chanelle Gallant is an author, activist, and movement strategist who has worked in the areas of sexuality and criminalization for over two decades. Her writing has appeared in dozens of publications, including Pleasure Activism, Beyond Survival: Strategies and Stories from the Transformative Justice Movement, and Defund, Disarm, Dismantle: Police Abolition in Canada. Chanelle is on the national board for Showing Up For Racial Justice and has helped to found or support numerous sex worker organizations. Her first book, on the politics of migration and sex work, comes out in 2024.

Angel (BABiEDOllZ) has been dancing for almost a year and a half and it all started with Jolene’s Night. Since then Angel has been hitting the pole for other different shows such as BABiEDOllZ. “Dancing has always been such a healing thing in my life and I am grateful I can showcase my talent to different audiences”.

Elle Souza (BABiEDOllZ) is a trans diva skrippa skrappa who has exceptional fashion sense. With a flair for style and an eye for the latest trends, she captivates her audience not only with her mesmerizing dance moves but also with her fabulous wardrobe. Elle embraces her identity wholeheartedly, exuding confidence and empowerment in her performances. As a trailblazer in the adult entertainment industry, Elle takes pride in breaking stereotypes and challenging societal norms. With every spin on the pole, she aims to promote acceptance, diversity, and inclusivity, encouraging others to be comfortable in their own skin. Beyond the stage, Elle is a strong advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, using her platform to raise awareness and support causes that matter to her.

Kink Out brings intersecting communities together. An ever-evolving container, Kink Out is a performance platform, ritual space, screening room, art collaboration, panel discussion, BDSM club, rally, call to action, tattoo studio, art auction, and fundraiser for communities most affected by the injustice of censorship, criminalization, and demonization of their lives and livelihoods.

Daphne aka EthicalDrvgs is a multidisciplinary artist most known for visual art and immersive performance art experiences. Her performance work has centered around the endurance of the divine feminine form and often features different variations of live body modifications. Her work centers the necessity of decriminalization and the advocacy of sex workers, often using visuals to show the unseen moments of the lives of sexworkers, specifically working trans girls, in order to reveal the aspects of their lives that many don’t get to see unless involved intimately. You can catch Daphne performing throughout LA either at shows or as a DJ.

kd diamond is a local tattoo artist, illustrator, and community organizer. One of the founding members of the Kink Out collective, diamond primarily uses her tattooing and art as methods to connect and engage community and politics. She’s illustrated over a dozen books about sex, gender, and sexuality. diamond recently opened Commonground Studio, a queer tattoo shop in Cypress Park.

The Carter/Johnson Library and Collection is a collective history of the communities who have chosen to live and love differently and features over 15,000 books (both fiction and non-fiction), periodicals, posters and other art, newsletters, and ephemera documenting the history of SM/Leather/Kink from early drawings documenting human sexuality to the present day. As the only library of its kind, it is our responsibility to let these communities know that their history is rich and long. The Library is designed to let people see it, hold it, read it and know it.

Wonmi’s WAREHOUSE Programs is organized by Alex Sloane, Associate Curator, and is produced by Amelia Charter, Producer of Performance and Programs with Michele Huizar, Programming Assistant, The Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles.

Wonmi's WAREHOUSE Programs is founded by Wonmi & Kihong Kwon and Family.