Irish Museum of Modern Art

CLUB CHROMA is a temple to the social, political and transformational power of dressing up and having fun. Featuring agitprops and projected imagery from 25 years of the Alternative Miss Ireland scene, it calls on visitors to unite in becoming agitators, visionaries and glorious outsiders. Rooted in the domestic social and political contexts from which the self-organised, informal queer club scene of 1990s emerged, and its role in mobilising the political drives of Ireland’s social movements, CLUB CHROMA is a space to celebrate the gods of transformation, experimentation and self-expression.

‘Chroma – A book of Colour’ (June 1993) by Derek Jarman is an intensely personal exploration of colour, written during the final year of the artist’s life as his eyesight failed him. Taking this as its cue, the CHROMA project at IMMA explored the prism of protest in various guises, through play, art, music, lecture, dance, film and politics. Embracing the self-determination and quest for personal freedom that underlines many LGBTQ personal histories and experiences the project provided a platform for a co-hosted, multi-vocal, open programme of discussions, screenings, workshops and experimental performances.