transformer

by AA BRONSON

We asked the Canadian artist AA Bronson, cofounder of General Idea, to write about the legendary 1974 exhibition and catalog organized by curator Jean-Christophe Ammann at the Kunsthalle Luzern.

This groundbreaking show was the first to introduce queer culture and cross-dressing into the art world. It forged a vital link between contemporary art and the glam-rock scene — David Bowie, Brian Eno — through artists such as Jürgen Klauke, Urs Lüthi, Luigi Ontani, Michel Journiac, and Katharina Sieverding.

“Transformer” marked a decisive moment for glamour, validated by the art world, as a way to redefine identity and gender.

The Swiss curator Jean-Christophe Ammann first walked into my life in 1975, in his usual languid, relaxed way — smoking, no doubt, and with that faint smile always on his lips and a twinkle in his eyes. He came to see the studio of General Idea in Toronto, and…