Demonstration in Milan, Italy, against the U.S. Supreme Court decision that upheld the constitutionality of a Georgia sodomy law (July,1, 1986). Antonio Frainer is the nun on the right
Beginning tonight, Friday Feb.1st, at the always groundbreaking Castro GLBT History Museum, the first international cooperative exhibit-a hybrid of Queer history and art drawn from a specific Queer citizens who lived within one of the contributing countries-opens with a reception.
"Migrating Archives: LGBT Delegates From Collections Around the World" is the brainchild of the esteemed EG Crichton the museum's official artist in residence.
In a statement released through the museum Crichton said, "The archives from countries far and wide are sending representations of their chosen collections as delegates to San Francisco. The images will be brought together in large graphic wall panels and associated videos to create portraits of both the organizations taking part and the lives they've chosen to represent them."
Some of those chosen to represent each country are famous. Others everyday citizens whose artifacts came to the donating country of origin after the individual died. Still others are anonymous. They represent the millions of LGBT peoples of the world whose histories and contributions have vanished from the record books completely.
Suzanne De Pues, born in 1918, gradually became aware of her feelings for women. In the 1930s, she discovered gay and lesbian nightlife in Brussels and adopted the pseudonym she would use henceforth: Suzan Daniel. At the same time she was active as Belgium's youngest and first female film critic. Photo: Courtesy Fonds Suzan Daniel (Ghent, Belgium).
According to Ms. Crichton the exhibits idea is to allow the material selected to represent moments in time-all from the LGBT perspective of an individual who lived it-and how it relates to other countries.
Bridging the borders of the world and offering an opportunity for LGBT people to create a history which is often erased, lost, omitted from 'official' histories allowing us to create our own lineage. It's a creative attempt to give root to the idea of a global family tree of Queer experiences, art and history.
Countries who's collections are represented within the exhibit include The Phillippines, Australia, Scotland, Italy, Ghana, Belgium, South Africa, United Kingdom, Hungary and of course the US.
Opening reception is tonight, Feb.1st, from 6 to 8 p.m., 4127 18th Street, in the heart of the Castro. The exhibit runs through May. First Wed. of the month is free otherwise it's $5 admission, $3 for students with valid CA ID.
