About

Rémon van den Kommer
Heemskerk, 1973

Rémon van den Kommer aka Kinki Hopelezz is a friend, a photographer, a performer, and an embodiment of unapologetic sexuality. He is a body unafraid to place itself and be placed—captured in contexts that evoke homoerotic, post-religious interpretations beyond traditional ideas of morality, good, and evil.

For Rémon, photography is a tool that dissolves distance with his subjects. While in Antigua, he encountered a man who introduced him to the harsh realities of local HIV paranoia and homophobia. This experience changed him profoundly.

As a drag house photographer at Club Church, a safe space for many marginalized communities, Remon captures performers, patrons, staff, friends, and even himself—revealing each identity unfiltered and free from societal judgments on sexuality and homoeroticism. Club Church became a sanctuary where he developed a series of provocative works based on a simple question:

Have we captured everything that sex can do to a camera?

TAKA TAKA

 

Amsterdam Prize 2024 | Winner of the Encouragement Award | The House of Hopelezz

“The Amsterdam Prize is not only a recognition of the winners but also of the shared stories and experiences of the groups they represent,” said Laurien Saraber, director of the organizing Amsterdam Fund for the Arts, in her opening remarks on Tuesday afternoon in a packed ITA.

“This year’s winners represent communities; this focus on the collective invites Amsterdammers to participate, to get to know and understand each other. It is healing, brings joy, and offers a counterbalance in challenging times.”

Under the approving gaze of cultural alderman Touria Meliani, jury chair Tirsa With then announced the three winners. The Encouragement Award, for innovative artists and initiatives, went to The House of Hopelezz, the oldest – yet ever-evolving – collective of drag performers in Amsterdam.

The House of Hopelezz is more than a drag house: it is a community. It offers a safe haven for both queens and kings to develop their performance, expression, and self-growth, under the guidance of drag mothers Taka Taka and Jennifer Hopelezz. With curiosity, acceptance, empathy, patience, and honesty, they mentor new generations.

Their innovative production of Carmen at the Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ combined the worlds of classical music, theater, and drag in a completely new way. They make drag accessible, promote expression for everyone, young and old, and dedicate themselves to fostering connection in the city. Through parties at Club chUrch, empowerment classes for teenagers, and dinners with taxi drivers, they push boundaries and unite diverse worlds.

Now that LGBTQIA+ acceptance is under pressure, the work of The House of Hopelezz is an act of resistance and hope. Their impact on Amsterdam is unmistakable and indispensable.

Amsterdamprijs 2024 | Winnaar Stimuleringsprijs | The House of Hopelezz

“De Amsterdamprijs is niet alleen een erkenning van de winnaars, maar ook van de gedeelde verhalen en ervaringen van de groepen die zij representeren,” zei Laurien Saraber, directeur van het organiserende Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst, in haar openingswoord, dinsdagmiddag in een vol ITA.

“De winnaars van dit jaar vertegenwoordigen communities; die focus op het collectief nodigt Amsterdammers uit om mee te doen, elkaar te leren kennen en te begrijpen. Dat is heilzaam, stemt vrolijk en biedt tegenwicht in een bewogen tijd.”

Onder de goedkeurende blik van cultuurwethouder Touria Meliani maakte juryvoorzitter Tirsa With vervolgens de drie winnaars bekend. De Stimuleringsprijs, voor vernieuwende kunstenaars en initiatieven, ging naar The House of Hopelezz, het oudste – maar almaar vernieuwende – collectief van dragperformers in Amsterdam.

The House of Hopelezz is meer dan een drag house: het is een gemeenschap. Het huis biedt een veilige haven voor zowel queens als kings om zich te ontwikkelen in performance, expressie en zelfontwikkeling onder begeleiding van drag mothers Taka Taka en Jennifer Hopelezz. Met nieuwsgierigheid, acceptatie, empathie, geduld en eerlijkheid begeleiden ze steeds nieuwe generaties.

Hun vernieuwende productie van Carmen in het Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ combineerde de werelden van klassieke muziek, theater en drag op een geheel nieuwe manier. Ze maken drag toegankelijk. Ze bevorderen expressie in iedereen, jong en oud, en zetten zichzelf in voor verbinding in de stad. Met feesten in Club chUrch, empowerment lessen aan tieners of diners met taxichauffeurs; hiermee verleggen ze grenzen en brengen ze diverse werelden samen.

Nu LGBTQIA+-acceptatie onder druk staat, is het werk van The House of Hopelezz een daad van verzet en hoop. De impact op Amsterdam is onmiskenbaar en onmisbaar.

 

Juli t/m Ongoing 2024 Photo Exhibition Wigs & Willies

Drag artists are often photographed removing their makeup. But when the clothes come off, the photographer is usually long gone. Photographer Rémon van den Kommer, though, hangs around to see the true person behind the queen- naked & proud. Curated by Taka Taka & Jennifer Hopelezz

Address: Free Willie, Amstel 178 Amsterdam

 

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