An art exhibition celebrating the Stonewall 50th Anniversary
Curators: Suzy Royal and Vassilia Kaga
Press & Communication: N.Catalano
“No pride for some of us
without liberation for all of us”
– Marsha P. Johnson
June 27 of 1969 marks a historic critical juncture for contemporary LGBTQI+ rights. A routine police raid on the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village, New York inflamed a rebellion, which endured days of violent demonstrations. Stonewall constitutes a benchmark for LGBTQI+ history.
Half a century later, fascist winds are blowing in every direction of the globe. LGBTQI+ relationships are still criminalised in 72 countries. In the United States, Trump’s administration proposed to abolish Obama’s civil rights safeguards which banned discrimination against transgender medical patients. In Europe, nationalistic, conservative right wing parties are on the rise, putting our basic human rights at risk. From South America to Russia, queer and transgender people are being killed every day reminding us that we are still targets.
THE EXHIBITION
Apart from merely a celebration, “Stonewall 50 – Days of future past” aims to remind us that this is not just our history – it is also our present. History can not be perceived as linear but as a circle instead. Innumerable LGBTQI+ people have deliberately placed their lives on the line through personal and individual struggles, making a collective liberation more approachable and finally possible.
THE ARTISTS
All the artists presented in this exhibition share their personal stories reflecting what has been achieved and what remains to be fought since the Stonewall Riots. It is impossible to view an oppression, such as homophobia, transphobia, sexism, racism, classism, ableism or ageism in isolation, because they are all intertwined.
Each of the works, from Rinaldo Hopf’s ‘’Stonewall Riots 1969’’ and Rory Midhani’s ‘If You Leave Us Behind Today We Will Leave You Behind Tomorrow’ to Khaleb Brooks’ ‘’The Brilliant” delve into issues that are as crucial now as they were then, highlighting the importance of intersectionality. Roey Victoria Heifetz’s large scale drawings examine the difficulties of transitioning later in life, while greek artist Antigoni Tsagkaropoulou creates a fluffy, participatory installation inviting visitors to create collective stories around gender, identity, sexuality and co-existence.
Quoting Marsha P. Johnson,”No pride for some of us without liberation for all of us’’, and all of us experience multiple identities at the same time. To eliminate one oppression successfully, the LGBTQI+ movement has to erase them all or its victory will never be able to be fully ensured.
Rinaldo Hopf – www.rinaldohopf.com
Nikita Zhukovskiy – www.nikitazhukovskiy.com
Rory Midhani – www.rorymidhani.com
Goodyn Green – https://www.goodyngreen.com/3312025
Roey Victoria Heifetz – www.roeyheifetz.com
Khaleb Brooks – www.khalebbrooks.com
Antigoni Tsagkaropoulou – https://antigonitsagkaropoulou.tumblr.com/
Vassiliki Lazaridou – https://instagram.com/killemole
Dorian Wood – https://www.dorianwood.com/
Marit Östberg – www.maritostberg.com
Liz Rosenfeld – www.lizrosenfeld.com
Ema Discordant – https://www.discordant23.tumblr.com
THE TEAM
Suzy Royal – Curator
With her international experience in museums, auction houses, academia, galleries, as well as a non-profit art foundation, Suzy Royal has a deep understanding of the art world and of the industry behind it. In collaboration with the Berlin-based Enter Art Foundation she curated over 10 successful art shows, scouting and exhibiting more than 300 emerging and mid-career artists from all over the world.
Vassilia Kaga – Curator
Vassilia Kaga’s work moves through queer trauma, cyberfeminism, deconstruction and pop culture. They hold a BA Degree in Communication, Media and Culture (focusing in Cultural Management) from Panteion University in Athens. Since then, they have curated or coordinated a variety of independent (or not) projects such as the Breeder gallery, The Eternal Internet Brother/Sisterhood (1-3), Outview Queer film Festival, Athens Pride, Aye Mari exhibition series etc.
Nadir Catalano – Press & Communication
N.Catalano is a communication studio operating in the intersection between digital media, editorial content and art. Its objective is to create bridges between traditional and disruptive; mainstream and unrepresented; fast and slow; digital and reality; commercial and creative. Nadir Catalano is equally comfortable with big international brands and local absolute beginners. With his work he aims to create a virtuous circle that can bring sustainability and representation for unheard voices.
PARTNERS
“Stonewall 50 – Days of future past” is an independent project entirely produced by Royal, Kaga and Catalano, with the support of the Berlin-based Enter Art Foundation, of Luisa Catucci Gallery and of the Italian creative agency YAM112003.
