Archival art from seven Dutch and international artists who have researched the IHLIA collection
When
4 October – 3 November 2024
Location
IHLIA Plaza (3rd floor OBA Oosterdok)
Free entrance
Mo-Fr: 08.00 – 22.00 hrs
Sa-Su: 10.00 – 20.00 hrs
This exhibition features works by seven Dutch and international artists who have researched the IHLIA – LGBTQ collection through their respective practices. Each piece is driven by a different approach of dealing with archival documents: Some of them creatively reframe archival objects to reconstruct and revitalize fragmented histories, forgotten figures, and activist strategies. Others apply montage and collage strategies based on archival holdings, highlighting questions surrounding the ordering and preserving of subaltern heritage.
Together, the works engulf a wide medial range, spanning from textiles and books to sculpture, sound, and video installation. All displays date from the last few years, reflecting the continuously growing relevance of archival art. The exhibition thus offers an insight into contemporary artistic discourses renegotiating art’s access to and participation in LGBTQIA+ history.
The motivation behind artistic research in non-heteronormative archives is not simply to extract material but also to add to the collections by way of critical inquiry and new creations. How then does archival art contribute to queer and trans heritage? By going beyond the traditional logics of archival ordering and display, archival art speculatively explores the potentials of new readings of archival records. In this regard, aesthetic sensibilities strategically recover evasive traces of intimacy and sexuality, instantiating an alternative and indirect form of archiving.
One of the central goals of the exhibition is to bring the different works and approaches into conversation, sounding out their intersecting concerns and interests in a still understudied field. Furthermore, the selection of works underscores the importance of the added value that comes from the artistic making tangible of the abundance and plentitude of queer and trans lives, routinely submerged in dominant narratives of vulnerability, loss, and death.
The accompanying program includes several artist talks, a book presentation, and free guided tours.
The artists
Curated by: Sandro Weilenmann
