Pessima

“Transition” by Jordan Bryon
An interview w/ Simona Coltello for Pessima Vol.3: Phantom Pain

About Jordan Bryon:Jordan is an Australian filmmaker, especially known for his high-risk political documentaries around the world.Among his recent works we have Our Land: Israel’s Other War, Transition, Children of the Taliban and Turning Point: 9/11 and the War on Terror.

About Transition:One year prior to the fall of Kabul, Afghanistan, Jordan infiltrates among a Taliban unit.It happens to coincide with his personal transition and first testosterone injections, a secret to the Talibans who might not take lightly such discovery.We get to see Jordan fighting against his instincts and feelings, as he questions the ethics of his action. On one side, he must gain the trust of the Taliban. On the other, they are the very same men that are threatening the lives of the people he cares for.

Excerpt from the interview:
SC: I gotta confess, the very first thing that comes to mind thinking of you is… …how the f**k do you not s**t yourself in these crazy environment you keep ending up in?

JB: I sometimes really do s**t myself. Absolutely. It’s not that I don’t s**t myself but I think like…you can’t be brave unless you’re scared, right? So, I think those of us that do this work…having a little bit of fear is essential for keeping us safe. But it’s also what what makes our work so compelling. We are afraid and we are nervous, and yet we’re committed to doing the job.

“BANANA.jpg: No credit or source found”

Takweer x Pessima Vol.3: Phantom Pain with an archive of q***r photography in Arab history, curated by Marwan Kaabour مروان

“In terms of the genres of content that appear on Takweer, they exist to serve three arguments: that “q***rness” has always existed in the Arab world; that the Arab world had a historically ambivalent relationship to gender and sexual non-normativity, which created room for manoeuvre when it came to gendered and sexualised expression; and that Arab culture itself is characterised by a camp sensibility at odds with its professed heteronormativity.

The page began as a repository of cultural artefacts that had shaped Kaabour’s own relationship to q***rness at the intersection of Arabness, and which compelled him to begin a journey of historical exploration in search of q***r ancestors, starting first with taken-for-granted but marginalised and uninterrogated popular historical knowledge he had been exposed to growing up in Lebanon, and moving on to a search for and engagement with scholarly material, as well as historical print and photographic media.”

Graphic Design by Simona Coltello & Siri Sølyst Farup

“Wings” by R0ֆֆA
For Pessima Vol.3: Phantom Pain

“When i was small,
When i was wingless,
I couldn’t grasp their feverish lust for Armageddon. Soreful, blistering judgment upon thy neighbor? But suddenly, and all at once, I understand it. I want the scale to be forcibly balanced. I want those that do evil to be swallowed into the earth. The same earth that they battered will fray their flesh to ribbons, as will it liquify their bones and their children’s soft bones. I want them to be swallowed up as I am uplifted and made new, made clean.”

Photography, Editing and Creative Direction by Rossa Harris
Photo & styling assist : Keto Pataraia
Production + styling assist : Isabella McFadden
Model: Kitty Victoria Whitaker

Producer: Simona Coltello & Pessima

“LEGADO” by Brian Fontana Burgos
For Pessima Vol.3: Phantom Pain

Creative Direction & Photography by Brian Fontana
Photography technical supervisor by Alexis Landin
Styling by Javier Barrera JAVIER BARRERA
Hairstylist by Matlali Rivera Venus Matlali
Featuring The Dolls from Mansión Fontana:
Sativa $exactiva Sativa Jane
Alois ALOIS
Aura lilramera
Angelito ☆
Elizabeth Elizabeth Carolina
Hikari HIKARI DANIELA
Mar
Roja ROJA ROMO
Virtual Angel Virtual
Nenuka .______________
nenukaviral

Producer Simona Coltello & Pessima

“Il fait froid dans le spectacle de la guerre”
by dvnes for Pessima Vol.3: Phantom Pain

Photography Alix Leigniel de Gail
Assistant loan-anh
Graphic Design Simona Coltello
Producer Simona Coltello & Pessima

Pessima presents Vol.3: “PHANTOM PAIN”

The third issue, aka Phantom Pain, for the first time digs into a specific theme. Highly influenced by the hostile environment and politcal turmoil of the past years, we pushed our artists to open up and explore their personal traumas and relationship with contemporary events. The first chapter “Phantom Pain” features original photography projects that uncover the SUBJECTIVE experiences of Trans/Non Binary artist with their past and present PTSDs. The second chapter “Patriotic Junkie”, on the other hand, discusses OBJECTIVE evidences and the complex dynamics of the world we live in today.

Featuring Original Photography by:
Brian Fontana (MX)
Charlie Jimenez (UK)
Dunes Kiefer (FR)
Rossa Harris (US)
Lilith Morris (UK)

Writings by:
Galassia Antisionista (IT)
Luïza Luz (BR)
Simona Coltello (IT)
Yan Yassin (UA)

Interview with:
Jordan Bryon (AS)

Archive of q***r narratives in Arab history:
Marwan Kaabour (LB)

With the collaboration of:
Alexis Landin, Alix Leigniel de Gail, Alois Galeazzi, Angelita aka Bizcocha, Ángel Virtual, Aura aka Lil Ra**ra, Elizabeth Carolina Álvarez aka Un4L0kur4, Flo Pawley, Hikari Daniela Leal aka Nissan, Isabella McFadden, Javier Barrera, Keto Pataraia, Kitty Victoria Whitaker, Loan-Anh, Mar, Nenuka, Powster3000, Roja Romo, Rowan Johnson and Sativa $exactiva.

Made with the incredible support of CIG Arcigay Milano, Goethe Institut & European Union.

Art Director: Simona Coltello
Graphic Designers: Simona Coltello, Lars Larkin
Illustrator: Bianca Guerra
Editor: Simona Coltello
Producer: Simona Coltello
Special Thanks to Siri Sølyst Farup, Marta Marrone, Maria Wolak, Dorsa Rafiee, Kenny Alexander Laurence

Limited Edition – 150 copies
Sewn Binding – 340 pages – A4
4 original editorials, 4 archival projects and many original writings

PREORDERS START NOW. TOMORROW WE HAVE 4 MORE SURPRISES👀

Pessima is proud to present: VOL.3 - PHANTOM PAIN

The third issue is finally here. A monumental q***r collective work of photography, performances and writings. We would love to tell you more, but you will have wait and join us for the release event in about two weeks

Vogliamo essere aperti e trasparenti e dirvi come stanno le cose. Pessima è attiva dal 2021, con un team di soli volontari che ha tenuto in piedi la baracca con personali donazioni e saltuarie collaborazioni che hanno sostenuto alcuni dei nostri progetti.

Vi chiediamo di destinare il vostro 5x1000 a Pessima piuttosto che a dei ricconi come la chiesa cattolica per sostenere un team che ce la mette tutta per non mettere mai un biglietto d’ingresso agli eventi e continuare a donare tutti i fondi vinti ad artisti emergenti trans e q***r.

È gratuito, e se non selezionate nulla verrebbe destinato in automatico allo stato. Per noi farebbe la differenza e condivideremo quanto ricavato per condividerlo come premio della prossima open call.

Inserite 13705710963 per donarli a Pessima E.T.S.

With the recent news that Bloodborne Remastered has been cancelled and sadly Bluepoint has been shut down as a indirect consequence, here’s a throwback to our editorial with Lilith Walther about the release of Bloodborne PSX

Available in Pessima Vol.1 featuring

Pics from our Workshop in Aarhus, Denmark🤍
Photos by &

Thanks to