Art lovers, are you ready to celebrate some amazing LGBTQI creatives?
BY VAL ZELASCHI, IMAGE BY ZACH ROWLANDSON VIA UNSPLASH
Honouring our queercestors and celebrating LGBTQI culture are a huge part of Pride. After two years of closures and digital shows, this Pride month, we can finally return to visit exhibitions celebrating our community in person. We can also take the opportunity to support emerging LGBTQI artists.
Here are six queer exhibitions to visit in London right now
We Get To Choose Our Families – Whitechapel Gallery, E1 7QX
20 May – 7 Aug 2022
This exhibition, brought together by non-binary and trans curators, explores the idea of chosen families, the importance of those friendships and the love and support they can provide. It features archive material from the Museum of Transology as well as works from queer artists and creators. The organisers have said: “This exhibition is a chosen family in its own right: a thoughtful selection of portraits, video, objects and stories drawn from different origins, backgrounds and experiences, set against a backdrop of queer domesticity.”
Let Me Hold You – Queercircle, SE10 0BN
8 June – 8 September
Queercircle is an LGBTQI charity that has recently opened a new space in North Greenwich for queer artists and organisers to come together. The inaugural exhibition that will run until September 8 features the work of Michaela Yearwood-Dan. Her colourful, floral mural paintings want to create an inclusive environment while celebrating the naturalness, spontaneity and beauty of queer love. As a Black queer woman, Yeawood-Dan reflects on issues such as collective identity and the importance of safe spaces. The artist has also co-curated Queercircle’s historical photographic exhibition The Queen’s Jubilee, that celebrates the drag queens who marched during London’s first pride 50 years ago.
Welcome To Queer Britain – Queer Britain Museum, N1C 4BH
5 May – 4 July
Queer Britain opened last may and is the UK’s first museum entirely dedicated to queer history and culture. It was co-founded by former Gay Times editor, Joseph Galliano, and today boasts the support of an incredible assemble of trustees and patrons. Whilst a permanent and bigger exhibition won’t open until later this summer, it is already possible to visit part of the museum’s photographic collection and artwork.
Tate Modern Lates – Tate Modern, SE1 9TG
24 June 18:00-22:00
In addition to the museum’s digital exhibition Queerate, the Tate will be running a series of pop-up events and workshops to celebrate queer artists, DJs and independent businesses. On Friday 24 June, starting from 6pm, guests will be able to enjoy music by artists such as Queer Bruk and The Rimmers, taste Queer Brewing’s own craft beers, make pronouns badges with designer Anshika Khullar and so much more! At 8pm, artist Bernice Mulenga will give a talk on documentary Rebel Dykes’ legacy. The full programme is available at this link.
Come Out & Play, Beers London, EC1A 7BH
18 June – 16 July
An exhibition featuring LGBTQI-identified artists from around the world curated by Andrew Salgado. “Come Out & Play celebrates internationally-based queer artists whose practice prioritises a bold approach and work that is challenging and progressive,” says the exhibition’s brief. Among featured artists, multi-awarded painter Katherine Bradford, multimedia artist KEEYA, and LA-based painter Brea Weinreb.
Queer Frontiers: An exhibition celebrating the work of Ashton Attzs – 100 Bishopsgate EC2M 1GT
1 June – 15 July
Ashton Attzs is a 24-year-old painter and illustrator based in London. Their colourful and cheerful paintings celebrate the LGBTQI community as well as gender diversity and euphoria. For pride month, Attzs has been invited to showcase their work across six buildings in the Square Mile. But as one of the paintings (Every Hour Is Ours) exposed at the entrance of City Point reminds us, pride is not just a month.
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