Lima, Alvaro Luis. “Screw the Nation!: Queer Nationalism and Representations of Power in Contemporary South African Art”. African Arts 45, n^o 4 (2012): 46‑57. https://doi.org/10.1162/AFAR_a_00027.

“Known for his irreverence, Steven Cohen strikes again. (1) Wearing heels with tentacles that prevent him from walking, he crawls fabulously to the polling station in order to make his voice heard in the second presidential election in post-apartheid South Africa. On all fours, he smiles at the curious voters who stare at his black leotard, extravagant make-up, and feathery wig. "Dress to excess"? (2) Surely, but what exactly is he exceeding? […]what exactly does Cohen’s performance transgress or exceed? It exceeds the standard to which nationals are expected to engage in the political arena; it exceeds by testing the limits of citizenship; and it exceeds national willingness to embrace difference as a unifying strategy. This article elaborates on these excesses as larger symptoms of the end of apartheid in South African art and explores how they revolve around gender and sexual diversity as instruments for reimagining national identity. This complex topic cannot be exhausted here; however, by analyzing works of art which highlight the role of queerness in shaping nationalist discourses, I hope to ignite a discussion on an issue that cannot be ignored: what do we make of the excess of the election-day queen?”

[Source: Excerpt from the article].