“The Closet is a space that is both safe, a site of trauma as well as a construct which ‘needs’ to be broken out of. Placing the Closet in a gallery is an attempt to create a pocket of space that allows outsiders entry into its cruel existence.”
Read the full story here.
Sumitra Sunder is an independent art curator and researcher who has been working in the field for over 10 years. She has curated projects in India, working primarily with archival material. Her curatorial practice engages and problematizes the understanding of queering art practice as well as Queerness as an identity. Her research work has led to a doctoral thesis in curating contemporary art, viewed through the lens of art history and feminist frameworks. She has been the recipient of various fellowships for her research and curatorial work, including one from the National Institute of Advanced Studies that supported her doctoral research, and fellowships from Kochi Biennale Foundation and Khoj International Artists Association for curatorial work. At present, Sumitra’s work is anchored in exploring history and memory through archiving practices as well as creating a framework for the exhibition and production of queered art. She is currently based out of Bangalore, India.
“There was an atmosphere of fear, yet at the same time the need to confront and fight for basic human rights became urgent. There was also a need to document everything that happened and that is what this story is all about.”
Read the full story here.
Listen to the audio recording of the panel discussion here.
T. Jayashree has written, produced and directed for International Television, Radio, feature films and Independent Documentaries for over 2 and a half decades. Her award winning work focuses on the intersection between Gender, Sexuality, Law and Public health. Her films are widely screened around the globe and can be viewed at vimeo. T. Jayashree founded Queer archive for memory, reflection and activism (QAMRA) in Bangalore in 2017.
ALMS is a series of international conferences focused on public, private, academic, and grassroots archives collecting and preserving materials of all types from LGBTIQ+ communities. As museums portray the mainstream culture, queer museums with their colorful displays of personal belongings, letters, photographs and art in general collect elements for portraying a different aesthetics and preserving alternative memories. For this special curators, editors, researchers and journalist, chronographers of past and present times tell their stories and share their experiences – and the sacrifices they have made for the work they do.