The current Exhibition at the re-opened Schwules Museum is Intimacy New Queer Art from Berlin and Beyond. If you are unfamiliar with the space, then you should know that Schwule Museum (SMU) was founded in 1985 to give a home to the history and culture of gay men and their emancipation movement, their history (s), artistic works, life testimonies and movement documents that have been devalued and excluded from the museums and archives of the majority society.
The house has developed since then. Today the SMU is an important international competence center for the research, preservation, and presentation of the culture and history of queer people and sexual and gender diversity as well as a sought-after cooperation partner for museums and universities, institutions for cultural promotion, and artists and activists from all over the world.
From ecstasy on the dance floor to adventure in the darkroom to surrender in a polyamorous relationship – Intimacy: New Queer Art from Berlin and Beyond shows over 30 artistic positions that negotiate queer intimacy in different ways. Not only are they a reminder of times gone by, but they also help us imagine a time after the crisis.
The exchange of looks, the touching of bodies, a conversation, sex, being together in a room – queer intimacy is under special observation. In public spaces, it is still often an occasion for homophobic and transphobic insults and violence. Lesbians, gays and trans * people were not intimidated by this and developed their own forms of intimacy. Historically, the depiction of queer intimacy is sometimes the only trace of homosexuality and transgender we have: two women who kiss, men who seek to be close to other men. It has also become the scene of experiments on how we want to live. As a couple or with several people, in the presence of bodies that share their lust and vulnerability.
Participating artists: Sholem Krishtalka, Rafael Medina, Del LaGrace Volcano, Elijah Burgher, Abel Burger, Simon Fujiwara, Slava Mogutin, AA Bronson, John Paul Ricco, Eva Giannakopoulou, Marlon Riggs, Michaela Melián, Vika Kirchenbauer, Doron Langberg, Kerstin Drechsel, Paul Mpagi Sepuya, Clifford Prince King, Derrick Woods-Morrow, Emerson Ricard, Victor Luque, Spyros Rennt, Irma Joanne, Lucas Foletto Celinski, Florian Hetz, Zanele Muholi, Tejal Shah, Roey Victoria Heifetz, Annie Leibovitz, Donna Huanca, Cibelle Cavalli Bastos, Studio PP, George Le Nonce, Josch Hoenes and Tomka Weiß.
Intimacy: New Queer Art From Berlin And Beyond Curated by Peter Rehberg & Apostolos Lampropoulos. Schwules Museum Lützowstrasse 73 10785 Berlin December 3, 2020 - August 30, 2021
