Contemporary Art and Alternative Queer Archival Strategies in Central and Eastern Europe

Contemporary Art and Alternative Queer Archival Strategies in Central and Eastern Europe

The purpose of this talk is to list and map some existing queer archives/collections in the post-Communist region but also to look for an alternative archival materials that might be used by general public and scholars or activists for research-related, education, or social purposes. One of the most visible, durable, and impactful resources, which are available, are visuals produced by contemporary artists or filmmakers, who document, recreate, or imagine queer past of their cities or countries. This creative engagement with local LGBTQ histories inspires further scholarly investigations, rediscovers forgotten queer stories and people and disseminates them through contemporary visual means. These artistic involvements with queer archiving seem to be the most important, unbound and popular alternative to the official institutions which often depend on changeable political context in a region, where cultural and historical organizations rest almost exclusively on the state’s financial support, which is less and less available for progressive projects in a period of increased conservatism and nationalism. Hence, my presentation will focus on selected examples of artworks, which take an archival approach to LGBTQ past and imagine a way to powerfully document queer history outside the conventional archival institutions -- through other cultural and academic networks.