Update: February 2023
Dear friends,
It has been a hot minute! We started our platform almost two years ago and a lot has happened since then, although to us it sometimes feels like very little. Maybe because we don’t have a lot to show for it. But believe it or not, behind the scenes we have been quite busy! We figured we’d give you a little update of the things we’ve been working on, and maybe even a sneak peek of what we have in store.
First of all, it’s not just the two of us anymore. This past year we were joined by three impeccable team members: Lara Mieruch, Niklas Heinssen and Ro de Ruiter. They have already brought skills and knowledge to the table we were missing and helped us in shaping the organization closer to what we want it to become. For anyone who has also offered their support for us, we see you and remember you! As our platform grows we will be needing your help, so keep an eye out for updates.
If you’re reading this there’s a fair chance you only know us from our online presence. We started in the middle of a pandemic and decided to initially use our social media to build an audience that would hopefully return to us for in person events. I am so happy to say this strategy turned out quite well! It turns out that there is a demand in the art world that we are capable of fulfilling. The past year we have been giving lectures, advising and writing for museums, art institutions and other organizations that want to expand their horizon and learn more about queer art and how to work with queer art. We’ve done lectures in Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum Twenthe and Forum Groningen, and given behind the scenes support to various other museums. We’ve been getting these requests more and more often, and we hope it will allow us to build a solid foundation to work with these institutions more in the future.
As for the future, we have so many plans. It’s hard to choose what to work on first. A long term goal for us is to work with artists and make exhibitions. We have attempted this in the past and it has not turned out how we imagined. We are only a two year old child, after all. For now we have decided we don’t want to ask any work of queer artists as long as there’s no budget to pay them. We are working hard to make that happen, so please stay with us while we exploit the system. Meanwhile, we will continue to speak, write, study, discuss and grow, hopefully with as many of you as possible. If nothing at all, the past year has sent an unbelievable amount of support and love our way, and we appreciate it so much! You’ll hear from us soon!
Anne and Iris
Photo by Ro de Ruiter
