Marija Šabanović
Marija Šabanović

THE KING
Ongoing since 2022

"The King" is a photo and text-based documentary work about the emerging wave of Viennese Drag Kings.

We are currently witnessing a new wave of drag performers influenced by RuPaul’s Drag Race, a U.S.-based Drag Queen reality competition TV show. Although the show focuses on beauty standards without critical examination and has been criticized for being normative, racist, and misogynistic, it has nonetheless inspired a new generation of Drag Kings worldwide. Vienna is one of the cities experiencing an explosion of this new drag expression.

Drag Kings have historically been part of the underground, even within the queer community, unlike Drag Queens, who have become increasingly mainstream in recent years. This disparity arises because the patriarchal structures of our society have always been more accepting of men*. Although the line of political correctness is often crossed, cisgender men playing with femininity are seen as less harmful, funnier, and more entertaining than women* playing with and questioning masculinity.

This work offers an insight into a scene that is currently invisible to the mainstream public. It portrays individuals sharing stories about their identities and experiences with masculinities in a male-dominated society. It documents a group of people daring to critique the patriarchy in a playful and entertaining way.

THE KING
Ongoing since 2022

"The King" is a photo and text-based documentary work about the emerging wave of Viennese Drag Kings.

We are currently witnessing a new wave of drag performers influenced by RuPaul’s Drag Race, a U.S.-based Drag Queen reality competition TV show. Although the show focuses on beauty standards without critical examination and has been criticized for being normative, racist, and misogynistic, it has nonetheless inspired a new generation of Drag Kings worldwide. Vienna is one of the cities experiencing an explosion of this new drag expression.

Drag Kings have historically been part of the underground, even within the queer community, unlike Drag Queens, who have become increasingly mainstream in recent years. This disparity arises because the patriarchal structures of our society have always been more accepting of men*. Although the line of political correctness is often crossed, cisgender men playing with femininity are seen as less harmful, funnier, and more entertaining than women* playing with and questioning masculinity.

This work offers an insight into a scene that is currently invisible to the mainstream public. It portrays individuals sharing stories about their identities and experiences with masculinities in a male-dominated society. It documents a group of people daring to critique the patriarchy in a playful and entertaining way.